title: Outcomes of trauma admission for falls: influence of race and age on inhospital and post-discharge mortality.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Racial disparities in trauma outcomes occur, but disparities in fall mortality are unknown. The objective of this study was to determine inhospital and 1-year fall mortality among patients discharged from an urban trauma center.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a retrospective analysis of fall patients in our trauma registry (1997 to 2008) linked to the National Death Index to determine postdischarge mortality. Statistical analysis included chi-square tests, multivariable logistic regression, and Cox proportional hazards models.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 7,541 fall admissions. There was no clinically significant difference in inhospital mortality between blacks and whites with age stratification. One year after discharge, blacks younger than 65 years were more likely to die of disease (hazard ratio, 1.37; 95% confidence interval, 1.14 to 1.62).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although rates of inhospital mortality are similar, blacks younger than 65 years have a higher risk of dying after discharge due to disease when stratified by age highlighting the need for continued medical follow-up and prevention efforts.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 601 West Lombard Street, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA. Electronic address: blstrong@partners.org.
authors.forename: Bethany L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Strong
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 601 West Lombard Street, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA.
authors.forename: Jamila M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Torain
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 601 West Lombard Street, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA.
authors.forename: Christina R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Greene
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 601 West Lombard Street, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA.
authors.forename: Gordon S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Smith
mesh_terms: D000058:Accidental Falls / Q000401:mortality*; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D044383:Black People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000067401:Blood Alcohol Content; D005260:Female; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006801:Humans; D007182:Income; D015601:Injury Severity Score; D008297:Male; D008396:Maryland / Q000453:epidemiology; D010343:Patient Admission; D010351:Patient Discharge; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000453:epidemiology; D012042:Registries; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D020521:Stroke / Q000453:epidemiology; D014193:Trauma Centers; D014505:Urban Population; D044465:White People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D001741:Black or African American
chemical_list: D000067401:Blood Alcohol Content
keywords: Disparity; Fall; Hip fracture; Mortality; Race; Trauma