This study assessed the prevalence of sensory and cognitive disabilities and falls for various age groups, sexes, and socio-occupational categories, and their associations in the Lorraine population.The sample included6,159 subjects, aged 15 years or more, randomly selected from the Lorraine population. They filled in a mailed questionnaire including socio-demographic characteristics, job, falls with physical injuries at the time of the survey, and sensory and cognitive disabilities. Data analysis was made via the adjusted odds ratios.The prevalences of sensory and cognitive disabilities were 3.0 and 4.7%, respectively, that of falls with physical injuries 2.4%: 1.2% for falls on the same level and 1.2% for falls to a lower level. Subjects aged over 70 were markedly affected, but the other age groups had relatively high prevalences as well; the workmen had the highest prevalence, followed by the foremen, farmers, craftsmen and tradesmen, and employees. A twofold risk independently of age, sex and job was found for the subjects with sensory or cognitive disabilities for all falls combined.These findings show the high prevalences of sensory and cognitive disabilities and falls with physical injuries, and their strong associations in the general population. Preventive measures are needed to detect and follow up the persons with these disabilities, limit their risk of falls and reduce occupational hazards.

The use of Facebook is ubiquitous among both patients and physicians. Often Facebook intrudes into medical practice, thereby highlighting its potential to be either a positive or negative factor in a patient's medical care. Despite being a "hot topic" in the medical literature, very few real world examples exist of physicians actually using information obtained from Facebook to reach a diagnosis or otherwise affect patient care. We present a case involving a 13-year-old girl who posted photographs and captions on Facebook demonstrating suicidal ideation. The patient's parents were alerted to the girl's statements in her Facebook profile and brought her to the emergency department. The girl's statements and photographs, as reported by her parents, were used by an emergency physician to make a diagnosis of suicidal risk and to disposition of the patient to an inpatient psychiatric ward. We discuss the potential diagnostic utility of information posted on Facebook and briefly discuss the ethical questions surrounding this situation.

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