title: Acute assessment of brain injuries in ground-level falls.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to characterize traumatic brain injuries (TBI) sustained in ground-level falls (GLFs). The focus was on factors associated with acute computed tomographic (CT) findings.
  
  
  METHODS
  The sample included 575 subjects examined and treated at the Tampere University Hospital emergency department (ED). Retrospective data collection consisted of subject- and injury-related data and clinical information from the emergency department. All CT scans were analyzed and systematically coded.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Ground-level falls were the mechanism of injury in 48.3% (n = 278) of the subjects. In the GLF group, independent risk factors for acute traumatic CT findings were long-term alcohol abuse, older age, being found on the ground, and left temporoparietal and occipital location of direct head impact. There were no significant differences in the incidence of any intracranial traumatic lesion type between those with GLFs and other causes of TBI. None of the classic clinical TBI severity markers studied were associated with acute traumatic CT findings in patients with GLFs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Older age and long-term alcohol abuse increase the likelihood of acute intracranial CT abnormalities. The pattern of intracranial traumatic CT findings does not differ from other causes of TBI. Clinical signs and indices of TBI severity did not predict traumatic CT findings.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosciences and Rehabilitation, Tampere University Hospital, Tampere, Finland.
authors.forename: Tiina
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Pöyry
authors.forename: Teemu M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Luoto
authors.forename: Anneli
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kataja
authors.forename: Antti
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Brander
authors.forename: Olli
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Tenovuo
authors.forename: Grant L
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Iverson
authors.forename: Juha
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Öhman
mesh_terms: D000058:Accidental Falls; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000453:epidemiology; D001284:Atrophy; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D059345:Cerebral Small Vessel Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D005260:Female; D020199:Hematoma, Subdural, Acute / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D006849:Hydrocephalus / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D020300:Intracranial Hemorrhages / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012886:Skull / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000293:injuries; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D055815:Young Adult