This site is intended for healthcare professionals

Sign in
Go to /sign-in page

You can view 5 more pages before signing in

Complications

Authoring team

The primary, obvious complication of a fall is that of injury:

  • laceration, contusion
  • head injury, possibly with subdural haematoma
  • fractured limb, particularly fractured neck of femur
  • fractured rib, which may result in pneumonia
  • wrist fracture (common between the ages 65 and 75) and hip fracture (after 75) (1)

The less obvious consequences include:

  • inability to summon help, resulting in:
    • pressure sores
    • pneumonia
    • hypothermia
    • rhabdomyolysis
  • loss of confidence, which may cause increased dependence and morbidity

Reference:

Related pages

Create an account to add page annotations

Create a free account

Annotations allow you to add information to this page that would be handy to have on hand during a consultation. E.g. a website or number. This information will always show when you visit this page.

The content herein is provided for informational purposes and does not replace the need to apply professional clinical judgement when diagnosing or treating any medical condition. A licensed medical practitioner should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions.

Connect

Copyright 2024 Oxbridge Solutions Limited, a subsidiary of OmniaMed Communications Limited. All rights reserved. Any distribution or duplication of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited. Oxbridge Solutions receives funding from advertising but maintains editorial independence.