title: Injury patterns, severity and outcomes among older adults who sustained brain injury following a same level fall: a retrospective analysis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  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.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  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.
authors.affiliation: Herbert H. Lehman College, City University of New York, 250 Bedford Park Blvd, West, Bronx, New York, NY 10468, USA. Electronic address: linda.scheetz@lehman.cuny.edu.
authors.forename: Linda J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Scheetz
mesh_terms: D000058:Accidental Falls / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology*; D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000401:mortality; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015601:Injury Severity Score; D008297:Male; D063868:Patient Outcome Assessment; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors
keywords: Aged; Brain injuries; Elderly; Falls; Length of stay; Mortality; Trauma centers