Falls leading hospitalisations
Unintentional falls among those aged 45 to 64 years continue to be the leading cause of injuries requiring hospitalisation in Australia, according to a report released last Friday by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW).
Unintentional falls among those aged 45 to 64 years continue to be the leading cause of injuries requiring hospitalisation in Australia, according to a report released last Friday by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW).
The report, Hospital separations due to injury and poisoning: Australia 2009-10, showed about 420,000 injury cases requiring hospitalisation in Australia during 2009-10.
“Of the 420,000 hospitalised injuries, 38% of these were due to falls, the same proportion as in 2008-09,” AIHW spokesperson, Professor James Harrison, said.
More than three-quarters (76%) of injury hospitalisations for people aged 65 years and over also occurred as a result of a fall. More females were hospitalised due to falls than males (90,100 cases, compared with 71,000 cases).
The second most common cause of hospitalised injury was transport accidents. While greater rates were reported among the 15 to 19 years age group, transport related accidents accounted for 14% of hospitalisations among older age groups.
Of all hospitalised injuries, 26% occurred in the home. Females were more likely to be injured in the home, while males were more likely to have been injured on a street or highway.
Read the full report Hospital separations due to injury and poisoning: Australia 2009-10.
