Occupational Injuries Among The Elderly Admitted To The Emergency Department

Abstract

Occupational injuries are among the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. The rate of occupational injuries in the elderly is increasing daily and is directly proportional to the increase in the elderly population. This study aimed to examine occupational injuries in elderly patients (age, >65 years) admitted to the emergency department. Materials and Method: This cross-sectional study included 122 patients aged >65 yearold who were admitted to the third level emergency department with an occupational injury between January 2016 and January 2018. The demographic characteristics of the patients, type of work accident, type of injury, injured body parts, and comorbid conditions were recorded and statistically evaluated. Results: The mean patient age was 67.8±2.3 years (mean±SD); 85.5% (n:108) of the patients were men, and 85.2% (n:104) were retired. Hypertension was the most commonly observed comorbidity (35.2%, n:43). Falls from the same or a high level were the most commonly observed injury mechanisms (56.7%, n:74). The extremities were the most commonly injured body part (54.9%, n:67); sprains/strains were the most commonly observed injury type (47.5%, n:58). None of the injuries resulted in death. Conclusion: The proportion of elderly workers is increasing owing to the rising elderly population worldwide. Because of increased cognitive and motor disabilities, there is an increased risk of occupational injuries in this age group. Thus, occupational injuries in the elderly should be more carefully evaluated in the emergency department.

Comparison of Risk Factors for Falls in the Old and the Oldest Old Admitted to the Emergency Department

“…In Parkinson's disease, leg muscles rigidity, blood pressure lowering effects of drugs and cognitive impairment increases the risk of falls (17). Savas S et al found that the frequency of falls in older patients was 35.7%, the presence of a history of falls was 24.3% and the frequency of fear of falling was 20.3%, in their study (18). All of these rates were much higher in our study.…”

Diyarbakır İlinde Meydana Gelen İş Kazalarının Demografik Analizi, Mortalite ve Morbiditeyi Etkileyen Faktörler

“…İstanbul ilinde bir şantiyede yapılan çalışmada kazaların oluş şekilleri cisim çarpması %49,0 (n=100), sıkışma %12,3 (n=25), düşme %11,3 (n=23) olarak tespit edildi 19 . Salt ve ark.yaptığı çalışmada en sık yaralanma mekanizması aynı seviyeden ya da yüksekten düşme %56.7 (n=74) olarak görüldü 24 . Yapılan tüm çalışmalar göstermiştir ki işin şekli, çalışma koşulları, çalışılan alan, çalışılan makineler, çalışılan saatler iş yerinde oluşan kazaların oluş şekillerini belirlemektedir.…”