Injury
Volume 38, Issue 1 , Pages 81-83 , January 2007

Alarming rise in fall-induced severe head injuries among elderly people

  • Pekka Kannus

      Affiliations

    • Injury & Osteoporosis Research Center, UKK Institute for Health Promotion Research, Tampere, Finland
    • Medical School, University of Tampere, and Division of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Department of Trauma, Musculoskeletal Surgery and Rehabilitation, Tampere University Hospital, Tampere, Finland
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorresponding author at: UKK Institute, P.O. Box 30, FIN-33501 Tampere, Finland. Tel.: +358 3 282 9336; fax: +358 3 282 9200.
    • ,
  • Seppo Niemi

      Affiliations

    • Injury & Osteoporosis Research Center, UKK Institute for Health Promotion Research, Tampere, Finland
    • ,
  • Jari Parkkari

      Affiliations

    • Tampere Research Center of Sports Medicine, UKK Institute for Health Promotion Research, Tampere, Finland
    • ,
  • Mika Palvanen

      Affiliations

    • Injury & Osteoporosis Research Center, UKK Institute for Health Promotion Research, Tampere, Finland
    • ,
  • Harri Sievänen

      Affiliations

    • Injury & Osteoporosis Research Center, UKK Institute for Health Promotion Research, Tampere, Finland

,Accepted 14 August 2006.

References 

  1. Adekoya N, Thurman DJ, White DD, Webb KW. Surveillance for traumatic brain injury deaths—United States, 1989–1998. MMWR Surveill Summ. 2002;51:1–14
  2. Chang JT, Morton SC, Rubenstein LZ, et al. Interventions for the prevention of falls in older adults: systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised clinical trials. BMJ. 2004;328:680–683
  3. Coronado VG, Thomas KE, Sattin RW, Johnson RL. The CDC traumatic brain injury surveillance system: characteristics of persons aged 65 years and older hospitalized with a TBI. J Head Trauma Rehabil. 2005;20:215–218
  4. Kannus P, Palvanen M, Niemi S. Time trends in severe head injuries among elderly Finns. JAMA. 2001;286:673–674
  5. Kannus P, Parkkari J, Koskinen S, et al. Fall-induced injuries and deaths among older adults. JAMA. 1999;281:1895–1899
  6. Kannus P, Sievänen H, Palvanen M, et al. Prevention of falls and consequent injuries in elderly people. Lancet. 2005;366:1885–1893
  7. Kattainen A, Koskinen S, Reunanen A, et al. Impact of cardiovascular diseases on activity limitations and need for help among older persons. J Clin Epidemiol. 2004;57:82–88
  8. Keskimäki I, Aro S. Accuracy of data on diagnosis, procedures and accidents in the Finnish hospital discharge register. Int J Health Sci. 1991;2:15–21
  9. Linjakumpu T, Hartikainen S, Klaukka T, et al. Use of medications and polypharmacy are increasing among the elderly. J Clin Epidemiol. 2002;55:809–817
  10. Official Statistics of Finland. Population projections by municipalities 2004–2030. Helsinki: Statistics Finland, 2004.
  11. Official Statistics of Finland. Structure of population and vital statistics: whole country and provinces, 1970–2004. Helsinki: Statistics Finland, 2005.
  12. Salmela R, Koistinen V. Coverage and accuracy of the Hospital Discharge Register (Finnish) Hospital. 1987;49:480–482
  13. Sherrington C, Lord SR, Finch CF. Physical activity interventions to prevent falls among older people: update of the evidence. J Sci Med Sport. 2004;7:43–51

PII: S0020-1383(06)00497-9

doi: 10.1016/j.injury.2006.08.027

Injury
Volume 38, Issue 1 , Pages 81-83 , January 2007

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