Injury patterns, severity and outcomes among older adults who sustained brain injury following a same level fall: a retrospective analysis

Abstract

Introduction: The objectives of this study were to: identify the incidence and types of brain injuries; classify brain injury severity; identify additional injuries; and identify predictors of length of stay, mortality and trauma center admission.

Methods: This secondary analysis used the NY State Inpatient Databases Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project. Inclusion criteria were: age 65 years and older, admitted to a hospital following a same level fall, primary hospital discharge diagnosis of traumatic brain injury. Descriptive and regression analyses were performed.

Results: 3331 patient records were analyzed. Intracranial hemorrhage accounted for 70% of the brain injuries. Younger age, higher household income, insurance status, ethnicity, patient location, increasing number of chronic diseases and diagnoses predicted trauma center admission. Age, trauma center admission, comorbidities, and brain injury severity predicted mortality. Age, race, major surgery, and number of diagnoses predicted length of stay.

Discussion: Brain injuries are common sequelae from falls among older adults. Additional research is needed to understand sociodemographic factors that are associated with trauma center admission.

Keywords: Aged; Brain injuries; Elderly; Falls; Length of stay; Mortality; Trauma centers.