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Updated: Aug 19, 2026
Assessment of Dependence in Activities of Daily Living Among Older Patients in an Acute Care Unit
Published on: September 30, 2020
Demographic differences in injuries among the elderly: an analysis of emergency department visits
Skai W Schwartz1, Deborah M Rosenberg, Chen Pin Wang
1Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, James A. Haley Veterans Hospital, Tampa, FL 33612, USA. sschwart@hsc.usf.edu
Background:
An understanding of demographic differences in injury types among the elderly will help in targeting interventions.
Methods:
Rates were calculated from the 1997 to 1999 National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Surveys by dividing the estimated number of visits by census population estimates. Age-adjusted standardized morbidity ratios were calculated to facilitate comparison between genders and between races.
Results:
Although men had fewer fractures than expected on the basis of the rate for women (standardized morbidity ratio = 0.57), they had more open wounds (standardized morbidity ratio = 1.785, p < 0.001). Blacks had fewer fractures than expected, based on the rates for whites (standardized morbidity ratio = 0.601, p = 0.004) but had higher visit rates than expected for less severe injuries such as contusions, strains, and sprains.
Conclusion:
The trends noted in the present analysis suggest interventions for improved machinery safety targeted at elderly men and a continuing focus on access to primary care for minority elderly.
