New research shows an increase in spinal cords injuries among the elderly due to high incidents of falling. Researchers need to conduct studies to determine what is causing older people to fall in order to design strategies to help this cohort avoid fall-related injuries.
Here are five facts:
1. Nitlin Jain, MD, lead author of the study, explained the elderly are more active now than in the past and therefore are prone to fall-related injuries due to balance and cognitive issues.
2. Nationwide Inpatient Sample databases showed the estimated annual incidence of acute spinal cord injuries to be 53 cases per 1 million persons in 1993 with a comparable 54 cases per 1 million persons in 2012 for the general population.
3. The cases among the elderly, however, showed a spike from 28 percent of total spinal cord injury cases in 1997 to 2000 reaching 66 percent in 2010 to 2012.
4. Spinal cord injury patients undergoing vena cava filter placement showed a large increase from 4 percent in 1993 to 1996 reaching 14.5 percent in 2005 to 2009.
5. In-hospital mortality continues to be high among the elderly with 20 percent of cases being fatal.
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