While older women are treated for falls more often than elderly males, men are more likely to sustain skull fractures when they topple over, new research suggests.
This is a serious concern because more than 3 million people aged 65 and older are treated in U.S. emergency departments each year for falls.
"The high incidence of head injury and subsequent skull fractures due to falls is a cause for concern as our aging population continues living active lifestyles," study co-author Dr. Scott Alter, an associate professor of emergency medicine at Florida Atlantic University College of Medicine, said in a university news release.
Head trauma is the leading cause of serious injury, and skull fractures are a serious head trauma outcome, the study authors noted.
Type of fracture, underlying health linked to poor outcomes in seniors