A five year study of high falls in Edinburgh

High falls are a common cause of death and disability. The aim of this stud y was to obtain an epidemiologically complete picture of all high falls ove r a 5 year period in Edinburgh, Scotland. Prospectively collected data on h ospital survivors and hospital deaths was collected from the Scottish Traum a Audit Group (STAG) database. Data on prehospital deaths was obtained from autopsy reports and detailed police enquiry reports. There were 341 patien ts in the study, of whom 82% were male. Seventy-four percent survived to ho spital discharge. Sixty-three percent of the total deaths appeared to be su icides. Head and chest injuries were responsible for the majority of deaths . Pelvis, limb and vertebral injuries predominated in survivors. In conclus ion, prevention may be the most effective method of reducing prehospital de aths. Abdominal injuries were associated with a poor outcome, but survival might improve with immediate surgical exploration in haemodynamically unsta ble patients. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.