"Oh the weather outside is frightful": Severe injury secondary to falls while installing residential Christmas lights.
BACKGROUND
Falls are an increasingly common source of severe traumatic injury. They now account for approximately 40% of both overall trauma volumes and injury-related deaths within Canada. In northern climates, the risk of all types of falls may increase during the fall/winter months when conditions become increasingly dangerous. The purpose of this study was to define the injury and patient demographics of severe trauma that occurs during falls associated with the installation of Christmas lights.


METHODS
All patients who were admitted to a referral level 1 trauma center (2002-2012) with severe injuries (ISS≥12) caused during Christmas light installation were retrospectively reviewed. Standard statistical methodology was utilised (p<0.05=significant).


RESULTS
A total of 40 patients were severely injured (95% male; mean age=55 years; mean ISS=25.7 (range: 12-75)) while installing Christmas lights. Injuries included: neurologic (68%), thoracic (68%), spinal (43%), extremity (40%), and multiple other sites. Fall mechanisms were: ladder (65%), roof (30%), ground (3%) and railing (3%). Interventions included intubation and critical care (20%), as well as orthopaedic and neurosurgical operative repairs (30%). The median length of hospital stay was 15.6 days (range: 2-165). The fall-related morbidity (28%) and mortality (5%) were significant with a total of 12.5% patients requiring transfer to a long-term care or rehabilitation facility.


CONCLUSIONS
Falls while installing Christmas lights during the fall/winter seasons can result in severe life-altering injuries with considerable morbidity and mortality. Caution should be employed when installing lights at any height.
Department of Surgery, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada T2N 2T9. Electronic address: mdriedge@ualberta.ca.
Michael R
MR
Driedger
Department of Surgery, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada T2N 2T9. Electronic address: guptaak@ucalgary.ca.
Arjun
A
Gupta
Department of Surgery, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada T2N 2T9. Electronic address: brywells@gmail.com.
Bryan
B
Wells
Department of Surgery, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada T2N 2T9. Electronic address: Elijah.Dixon@albertahealthservices.ca.
Elijah
E
Dixon
Department of Surgery, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada T2N 2T9. Electronic address: ball.chad@gmail.com.
Chad G
CG
Ball
D000058:Accidental Falls / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000061:Accidents, Home / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000328:Adult; D002170:Canada / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006693:Holidays / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D015601:Injury Severity Score; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014193:Trauma Centers; D015599:Trauma Severity Indices; D014887:Weather; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*
Christmas; Falls; Injury; Severe trauma