566 Fall injuries in Nepal: Studies of selected tertiary hospitals from all seven provinces

<h3>Background</h3> Globally, fall injuries are a leading cause of morbidity among children, working-age adults, and the elderly. The WHO and Global Burden of Disease study estimated 3,320 and 3,850 fall-related deaths respectively for 2019, with fall injuries accounting for 2.25% of DALYs. Falls are influenced by immediate environments and an individual’s physical condition. These injuries range from minor to severe, including paralysis and death. Despite their frequency, especially non-fatal falls, there is a lack of comprehensive statistics. <h3>Objective</h3> This study aims to explore the situation of fall-related injuries and associated factors. <h3>Methods</h3> This cross-sectional study was conducted over one month (Aug-Sept 2023) in the emergency and in-patient departments of seven hospitals, representing seven provinces in Nepal. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire via the KoboCollect Toolbox on mobile phones. Twelve trained field researchers gathered injury-related information from patients or caretakers. We present a descriptive analysis of fall injuries from the survey. <h3>Results</h3> Out of the 1,175 identified injury patients, 38.6% had non-fatal fall-related injuries, and majority were males (58.9%). Among fall injuries, 93.6% were unintentional and 64.5% occurred within home environments followed by farm/field. The mean age of the victim was 37.5 years (SD 24.9). The proportion of children (under 15 years) and victims aged 65 years and older were almost the same (16% and 17.7%). Gender disparities were observed in taking victim to hospital: more males were taken to the hospital immediately after the incident whereas comparatively, more females were taken to the hospital a few days later. The most common injured body parts were limbs followed by head injuries. The most of fall injury victims had primary education (73.2%), with lower injury rates observed at higher education levels. Farmers represent 30.1% of fall incidents, followed by students (28.4%). Most of the victims had limbs injury, followed by head injury (21.7%). <h3>Conclusions</h3> Findings showed that falls are a leading cause of unintentional injury and majority of them occurred around home, especially among children and in agricultural settings. The consequences of fall injuries can be addressed by prioritizing home environment modifications, implementing targeted interventions in agricultural settings, and addressing gender inequalities in treatment.