title: First eye cataract surgery and hospitalization from injuries due to a fall: a population-based study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the association between first eye cataract surgery and hospitalization from injuries due to a fall in older adults at the population level.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective population-based study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Western Australian Hospital Morbidity Data System and Western Australian mortality data.
  
  
  METHODS
  Six hundred individuals aged 60 and older hospitalized from injuries due to a fall between 2004 and 2008 in Western Australia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Hospital admission from injuries due to a fall.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 15,295 individuals who underwent cataract surgery in one eye only, 600 (3.9%) were involved in 625 hospital admissions from injuries due to a fall 1 year before (n = 273) or 1 year after (n = 352) first eye cataract surgery; 30% of these hospitalizations were for femoral neck fractures. Poisson generalized estimating equations confirmed 27% more (adjusted risk ratio = 1.27, 95% confidence interval = 1.04-1.56 P = .02) hospitalizations from injuries due to a fall in the year after first eye cataract surgery than in the year before.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  First eye cataract surgery was associated with more hospital admissions from injuries due to a fall in the year after cataract surgery than in the year before. Further research is needed to determine the underlying causes and reasons.
authors.affiliation: Curtin-Monash Accident Research Centre, Curtin University, Australia. L.Meuleners@curtin.edu.au
authors.forename: Lynn B
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Meuleners
authors.forename: Andy H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Jonathon Q
authors.initials: JQ
authors.lastname: Ng
authors.forename: Nigel
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Morlet
authors.forename: Michelle L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Fraser
mesh_terms: D000058:Accidental Falls / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000368:Aged; D002387:Cataract Extraction; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016012:Poisson Distribution; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D014904:Western Australia / Q000453:epidemiology