Falls from Great Heights: Risk to Sustain Severe Thoracic and Pelvic Injuries Increases with Height of the Fall

• Published in: Journal of clinical medicine Vol. 10; no. 11; p. 2307
• Main Authors: Nau, Christoph, Leiblein, Maximilian, Verboket, René D, Hörauf, Jason A, Sturm, Ramona, Marzi, Ingo, Störmann, Philipp
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 25.05.2021; MDPI
• Subjects: Age; Altitude; Clinical medicine; Emergency medical care; Injuries; Intensive care; Laboratories; Patients; Suicides & suicide attempts; Trauma; spine injury; injury pattern; great height; fall; pelvic trauma
• ISSN: 2077-0383; 2077-0383
• DOI: 10.3390/jcm10112307

Falls from a height are a common cause of polytrauma care in Level I Trauma Centers worldwide. The expected injury consequences depend on the height of the fall and the associated acceleration, as well as the condition of the ground. In addition, we further hypothesize a correlation between the cause of the fall, the age of the patient, and the patient's outcome. A total of 178 trauma patients without age restriction who were treated in our hospital after a fall >3 m within a 5-year period were retrospectively analyzed. The primary objective was a clinically and radiologically quantifiable increase in the severity of injuries after falls from different relevant heights (>3 m, >6 m, and >9 m). The cause of the fall, either accidental or suicidal; age and duration of intensive care unit stay, including duration of ventilation; and total hospital stay were analyzed. Additionally, the frequency of urgent operations, such as, external fixation of fractures or hemi-craniectomies, laboratory parameters; and clinical outcomes were also among the secondary objectives. Sustaining a thoracic trauma or pelvis fractures increases significantly with height, and vital parameters are significantly compromised. We also found significant differences in urgent pre- and in-hospital emergency interventions, as well as organ complications and outcome parameters depending on the fall's height.