Cervical Spine Injuries Can Have Catastrophic Effects on the Elderly

Cervical spine injury is among three strong “mortality predictors” for elderly patients, according to a recent study highlighted in HealthDay News. The article refers to a study that was published in the Nov. 2 issue of the Spine journal. The researchers at Tianjin Medical University General Hospital in China conducted a methodological review of 23 studies published between 1993 and 2011 involving 2,325 patients.
What they found was that spinal cord injuries were one of the strong evidence predictors of mortality in elderly patients. Among the moderate predictors were closed head injuries and cardiopulmonary diseases. The aim of the study is to give doctors and caregivers a better understanding of factors that influence the risk of death. Researchers believe that the information may be useful for counseling patients and their families.
Falls and Seniors
A number of seniors suffer serious spinal cord injuries as a result of falls. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), one out of three adults aged 65 and older falls each year, but less than half talk to their healthcare providers about it. Among older adults, falls are the leading cause of injuries and deaths. In 2010, 2.3 million non-fatal injuries among older adults were treated in emergency departments and more than 662,000 of these patients were hospitalized. Also, according to the CDC, the direct medical cost of falls was $30 billion in the year 2010.
Preventing Slip-and-Fall Injuries
There are several steps the elderly can take in order to prevent falls and severe spinal injuries that can result from falls. First, regular exercise can help improve leg strength and balance. Seniors should also review their medications to identify those that cause dizziness or drowsiness. Also, they should get their eyes examined annually and update their eyeglasses to maximize vision. Homes and living environments should be made safer by reducing tripping hazards, adding grab bars in the bathroom, improving lighting and adding railings on both sides of stairways.
Compensation for Injured Victims
If you or a loved one suffered injuries because of a slip-and-fall accident, the experienced New York personal injury attorneys at the Law Offices of Kenneth A. Wilhelm can help you better understand your legal rights and options. Our law firm recovered $1,700,000 for a woman who slipped and fell and received no hospital or medical treatment for one month after the accident. Please call our offices 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 1-800-WORK-4-YOU (1-800-967-5496) to discuss your slip-and-fall case or trip-and-fall injury or accident case. We can also help with personal injury cases in New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, or Florida. If you have been seriously injured in any of the 50 U.S. states, please call us and we will try to help you with your case.
Other phone numbers for us are:
1-800-RADIO-LAW, 1-888-WYPADEK, OR 1-800-LAS-LEYES
Please visit us at: www.WORK4YOULAW.com
Source: HealthDay