title: Unintentional injuries treated in hospital emergency departments among persons aged 65 years and older, United States, 2006-2011.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  With the aging of the United States population, unintentional injuries among older adults, and especially falls-related injuries, are an increasing public health concern.
  
  
  METHODS
  We analyzed emergency department (ED) data from the Nationwide Emergency Department Sample, 2006-2011. We examined unintentional injury trends by 5-year age groups, sex, mechanism, body region, discharge disposition, and primary payer. For 2011, we estimated the medical costs of unintentional injury and the distribution of primary payers, plus rates by injury mechanisms and body regions injured by 5-year age groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  From 2006 to 2011, the age-adjusted annual rate of unintentional injury-related ED visits among persons aged ≥ 65 years increased significantly from 7987 to 8163, per 100,000 population. In 2011, 65% of injuries were due to falls. Rates for fall-related injury ED visits increased with age and the highest rate was among those aged ≥ 100. Each year, about 85% of unintentional injury-related ED visits in this population were expected to be paid by Medicare. In 2011, the estimated lifetime medical cost of unintentional injury-related ED visits among those aged ≥ 65 years was $40 billion.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Increasing rates of ED-treated unintentional injuries, driven mainly by falls among older adults, will challenge our health care system and increase the economic burden on our society. Prevention efforts to reduce falls and resulting injuries among adults aged ≥ 65 years have the potential to increase well-being and reduce health care spending, especially the costs covered by Medicare.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  With the aging of the U.S. population, unintentional injuries, and especially fall-related injuries, will present a growing challenge to our health care system as well as an increasing economic burden. To counteract this trend, we must implement effective public health strategies, such as increasing knowledge about fall risk factors and broadly disseminating evidence-based injury and fall prevention programs in both clinical and community settings.
authors.affiliation: Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, 1518 Clifton Road, Atlanta, GA 30322, United States.
authors.forename: Xinyao
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: DeGrauw
authors.affiliation: National Center for Injury Prevention & Control Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, 4770 Buford Highway, F-62, Atlanta, GA, 30341, United States.
authors.forename: Joseph L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Annest
authors.affiliation: National Center for Injury Prevention & Control Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, 4770 Buford Highway, F-62, Atlanta, GA, 30341, United States. Electronic address: jas2@cdc.gov.
authors.forename: Judy A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Stevens
authors.affiliation: National Center for Injury Prevention & Control Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, 4770 Buford Highway, F-62, Atlanta, GA, 30341, United States.
authors.forename: Likang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: National Center for Injury Prevention & Control Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, 4770 Buford Highway, F-62, Atlanta, GA, 30341, United States.
authors.forename: Victor
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Coronado
mesh_terms: D000058:Accidental Falls / Q000191:economics* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D006278:Medicare / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012307:Risk Factors; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000191:economics* / Q000453:epidemiology*
keywords: Elderly; Emergency department; Falls; Older adults; Unintentional injury