title: Epidemiologic trend in elderly domestic injury.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The elderly constitute about 12% of the American population, with a projected increase of up to 25% in 2050. Elderly domestic injuries have been recognized as a major cause of morbidity and mortality. The objective of this study is to determine the 4-y national trend in elderly domestic injury, and we hypothesize that the home remains a significant source of injury.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data on elderly patients ≥ 65 y was extracted from the National Trauma Data Bank's National Sample Project (NSP). Elderly patients with home injuries were compared with non-home injuries. Subsets of hospitalized patients were analyzed for trends in injury site over a 4 y period. Multivariate analysis was performed to determine the predictors of hospitalization and in-hospital mortality.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 98,288 patients, representing a weighed estimate of 472,456 elderly patients were analyzed. Forty-two percent of all injuries in the study population occurred at home, followed by motor vehicle crashes (MVC) at 25%. Home injuries as a proportion of annual injuries increased from 37% in 2003 to 40% in 2006. Majority (57%) were admitted to the floor and 14% to the intensive care unit (ICU). On multivariate analysis, African-Americans and Asians were less likely to be hospitalized (odds ratio (OR) 0.57 and 0.50, respectively, with females 47% less likely than males to die after hospitalization (P < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Home injuries remain the most significant source of elderly hospitalizations after trauma. With a rapidly growing elderly population, there is a need to recognize this specific location of injury and create directed preventive measures to avert elderly domestic injuries.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Howard University College of Medicine, Washington, DC 20060, USA. toyetunji@howard.edu
authors.forename: Tolulope A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Oyetunji
authors.forename: Sharon K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Ong'uti
authors.forename: Oluwaseyi B
authors.initials: OB
authors.lastname: Bolorunduro
authors.forename: Dani O
authors.initials: DO
authors.lastname: Gonzalez
authors.forename: Edward E
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: Cornwell
authors.forename: Adil H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Haider
mesh_terms: D000061:Accidents, Home / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000191:economics / Q000453:epidemiology*