The Growing Burden of Fall-Related Injuries among Older Adults: A Seven-Year Study from a Tertiary Medical Center in Taiwan.

BACKGROUND

As Taiwan's population ages, falls among older adults have become a critical public health concern. However, limited data exist regarding temporal trends and injury patterns in fall-related emergency department (ED) visits. This study aimed to examine trends in fall-related ED visits and hospitalizations among older adults in Taiwan and to explore injury distributions by age group.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective cohort study using data from the National Taiwan University Hospital between 2011 and 2017. Patients aged ≥65 years were compared with those aged 20-64 years. Fall-related visits were identified using chief complaints and the International Classification of Diseases 9th/10th revision (ICD-9/ICD-10) codes. Outcomes included hospitalization rates, length of stay, and 30-day mortality.

RESULTS

A total of 22,471 fall-related ED visits were analyzed. While visits among younger adults declined (annual growth rate, -1.34%), visits among older adults increased (2.37% annually), with the steepest rise in those aged ≥85 years. Hospitalization occurred in 27.1% of older adults, nearly double that of younger adults (14.4%). Older adults also had longer hospital stays and higher 30-day mortality rates, findings consistent even when restricted to lower limb fractures.

CONCLUSION

Fall-related ED visits and hospitalizations are rising disproportionately among Taiwan's older population. Targeted prevention strategies and transitional care interventions are urgently needed to address the growing clinical and economic burden of falls in aging societies.