@article{ref1,
title="Nonfatal fall-related traumatic brain injury among older adults--California, 1996-1999",
journal="MMWR: Morbidity and mortality weekly report",
year="2003",
author="Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, USA, ",
volume="52",
number="13",
pages="276-278",
abstract="In the United States, falls are the second leading cause of traumatic brain injury (TBI) hospitalizations overall and the leading cause of TBI hospitalizations among persons aged > or = 65 years. In 1995, TBIs resulted in an estimated $56 billion in direct and indirect costs in the United States. In California, during 1999, a total of 61,475 hospitalizations from falls were reported among persons aged > 65 years. Risk factors for falling among older persons included arthritis; impairments in balance, gait, vision, and muscle strength; and the use of four or more prescription medications. As part of CDC's program of state-based TBI surveillance, California hospital discharge data were collected and analyzed to describe fall-related TBIs. This report summarizes the results of that analysis, which support previous findings that persons aged > or = 65 years are at risk for hospitalization for a fall and that same-level falls are far more common among persons aged > or = 65 years than falls from a higher level (e.g., a ladder, chair, or stair). Defining the circumstances of fall injuries and recognizing the type of fall leading to TBI hospitalizations among older persons can help health-care providers conduct risk assessment and management of falls in this population.",
language="en",
issn="0149-2195",
doi="",
url="http://dx.doi.org/"
}