title: Fatal Falls in New York City: An Autopsy Analysis of Injury Patterns.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Falls from heights are an important cause of unintentional fatal injury. We investigated the relationship between the characteristics of fatal falls and resulting injury patterns.
  
  
  METHODS
  We reviewed prospectively collected data from the Office of Chief Medical Examiner in New York City between 2000 and 2010. Data included fall height, work or non-work related, use of safety equipment, intentionality, specific organ injuries, and death on impact. The primary outcome was organ injury based on fall height.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Higher falls were associated with hemorrhage as well as rib and various organ injuries. Organ injury pattern did not differ based on work status. The presence of equipment misuse or malfunction was associated with more deaths upon impact. Victims of falls from 200 ft or higher were 11.59 times more likely to die on impact than from lower than 25 ft.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Fall height and work-related falls were significantly associated with death on impact. This is a public health issue, as 13% of falls were work related and 4% of falls were due to improper use of safety equipment. Some work-related falls are potentially preventable with proper safety equipment use. Understanding patterns of injury may play a role in prevention and management of survivors in the acute period.
authors.affiliation: From the New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY.
authors.forename: Nabeel R
authors.initials: NR
authors.lastname: Obeid
authors.forename: Darren Jeremy
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Bryk
authors.forename: Timothy
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Keith C
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Hemmert
authors.forename: Spiros G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Frangos
authors.forename: Ronald J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Simon
authors.forename: H Leon
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Pachter
authors.forename: Steven M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Cohen
mesh_terms: D000058:Accidental Falls / Q000401:mortality*; D000062:Accidents, Occupational / Q000401:mortality; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D005260:Female; D005554:Forensic Medicine; D006470:Hemorrhage / Q000401:mortality; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009519:New York City / Q000453:epidemiology; D000067393:Personal Protective Equipment / Q000009:adverse effects; D011446:Prospective Studies; D017678:Sex Distribution; D013405:Suicide / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000401:mortality*; D055815:Young Adult