Fall from Standing Height, or Greater, and Mortality among Ambulance-Transported Patients with Major Trauma from Falls

Abstract

Introduction This study describes the relationship between falls from standing height, or greater, and mortality in ambulance-transported patients with major trauma from falls. Methods Road ambulance records from 1 January 2013 to 31 December 2016 were linked with WA State Trauma Registry records to identify ambulance-transported falls patients with major trauma. Results Of the patients who fell from standing level, 114/460 (25%) died within 30 days, compared with 47/222 (21%) who fell from height (p=0.64). Conclusion Mortality is relatively high, and fall height is not associated with 30-day survival, among ambulance-transported patients with major trauma in metropolitan Perth, Western Australia.