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Falls account for many visits to the emergency room

10.27.2010

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, emergency department physicians are seeing more injuries related to falling. Approximately 9 million visits are made each year due to these accidents, which account for more than 40 percent of non-fatal injuries.

"The nation's emergency physicians are prepared to care for anyone injured from a fall," said Dr Sandra Schneider, president of the American College of Emergency Physicians. "But it's important to look around your everyday environment and minimize the risk to not only yourself, but to others as well. [Unintentional falls] can happen at any time, any place and happen to anyone."

Falling down may account for up to 33 percent of deaths, according to the Home Safety Council. For the elderly, these accidents are most commonly associated with lower body weakness, balance problems and visual impairment. Most falls in children are linked to baby walkers, play equipment and windows.

Doctors recommend that people remove clutter from their homes, use nightlights in the hall to improve visibility, repair any loose carpeting and add hand grip bars in areas such as the bathroom and shower.

Categories: Emergency medicine 

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