title: Accidental falls involving medical implant re-operation.
abstract: Implantation of medical devices is becoming more prevalent, and as a result, a greater number of patients who fall accidentally are expected to have a medical implant. The Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) was used to evaluate hospital admissions following accidental falls involving re-operation of existing medical implants (hip, knee, spine, and fracture fixation) from 1990 to 2005. From 1990 to 2005, hospitalisations due to accidental falls on level surfaces increased by 306%, and hospitalisations due to falls from stairs increased by 310%. Falls involving orthopaedic revision surgery (re-operation) are relatively rare, but the incidence has increased by approximately 35%. Hospital stays after falls on level surfaces involving re-operation were 1.0 day (median) longer and cost 50% (median) more than those that did not involve re-operation in 2005. After staircase falls, hospital stays for patients undergoing re-operations were 2.0 days (median) longer and cost 108% (median) more. The greater hospital costs and hospital stay for patients needing re-operations indicate that additional medical treatment was required.
authors.affiliation: Exponent, Inc., Philadelphia, PA 19104, United States. kong@exponent.com
authors.forename: Kevin L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Ong
authors.forename: Edmund
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lau
authors.forename: Tara
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Moore
authors.forename: Michelle F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Heller
mesh_terms: D000058:Accidental Falls / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D017721:Hospital Costs; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019736:Prostheses and Implants / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012086:Reoperation / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data