THE EPIDEMIOLOGY OF SLIPS,TRIPS, AND FALLS IN THE U.S. ARMY

摘要

Analysis of medical surveillance and administrative data has demonstrated that slips, trips, and falls (STF) contribute significantly to the burden of injury on the U.S. Army. In 2005, STF were the leading cause of Army injury hospitalizations, accounting for 17.1% (n = 425) of all injury hospitalization visits that received an injury cause code. Rates of STF-related injuries were 9.8 to 11.4 per 10,000 personnel per year from 2000-2005. Among categories of STF (fall/jump from stairs or ladder, fall/jump from different level, fall/jump on same level, twists/turns/slips), hospitalization rates for 'fall/jump from different level' were typically highest, ranging from 3.3 to 4.1 per 10,000 personnel/year, while rates for 'fall/jump from stairs or ladder' were consistently the lowest, ranging from 1.1 to 1.5 per 10,000 personnel/year. Falls/jumps are also the leading cause of non-battle injuries among troops in deployed settings. Among U.S. Army personnel in Operation Iraqi Freedom, one quarter (25.2%, n= 1,476) of non-battle injuries requiring medical air evacuation between March 2003-June 2006 were due to STF. STF from vehicles accounted for 27.9% of non-battle-related falls. Such STF injuries, whether suffered at home or overseas, result in unnecessary costs including medical expenses, lost work time, and manpower reductions. Because of the magnitude and severity of the problem with STF, additional research on risk factors, causes, and interventions to prevent STF among working-age populations is needed.