Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Drug Dosing: Geriatric Patients01:15

Drug Dosing: Geriatric Patients

Elderly individuals encompass a diverse population with varying degrees of age-related physiological changes. Defining the elderly presents challenges, as the geriatric population is often arbitrarily categorized as individuals older than 65. However, many individuals in this group lead active and healthy lives, with an increasing number surpassing 85 years and falling into the older elderly category. Physiological changes associated with aging impact performance capacity and homeostatic...
Pharmacokinetics in Geriatric Patients: Effect of Age on Drug Excretion01:18

Pharmacokinetics in Geriatric Patients: Effect of Age on Drug Excretion

In geriatric patients, renal physiology undergoes significant changes, including diminished renal blood flow and a lower glomerular filtration rate (GFR), leading to alterations in medication clearance. Drugs such as aminoglycoside antibiotics, lithium, and digoxin, which rely on glomerular filtration for removal from the body, particularly impact pharmacokinetics. These drugs tend to have slower clearance rates in older adults, necessitating careful dosage considerations.Evaluation of renal...
Pharmacokinetics in Geriatric Patients: Effect of Age on Drug Distribution01:00

Pharmacokinetics in Geriatric Patients: Effect of Age on Drug Distribution

Drug distribution in the human body is influenced by several factors, including plasma protein concentration, body composition, blood flow, tissue-protein concentration, and tissue fluid pH. Among these, changes in plasma protein concentration and body composition due to aging significantly affect how drugs are distributed within the body. Specifically, aging is associated with a decrease in albumin levels by about 10% and an increase in α1-acid glycoprotein levels. These alterations are not...
The Effect of Aging on Tissues01:19

The Effect of Aging on Tissues

Several body functions deteriorate with age. The external signs of aging are easily identifiable. For example, the skin becomes dry, less elastic, and thins out, forming wrinkles. The skin of the face begins to appear looser due to a decrease in the levels of elastic and collagen fibers in the connective tissue. Additionally, melanin production in the hair follicle decreases with age, resulting in gray hair. Moreover, the senses of sight and hearing decline, so glasses and hearing aids may...
Bone Disorders01:29

Bone Disorders

Aging and its effect on bone remodeling is the most common cause of bone disorders. In young and healthy people, bone deposition and resorption happen at an equal rate to maintain optimal bone health.
Bone deposition is also affected by the levels of sex hormones like estrogen and testosterone that promote osteoblast activity and bone matrix synthesis. When the level of these hormones decreases due to aging, it causes a reduction in bone deposition. As a result, bone resorption by osteoclasts...
Pharmacodynamics in Geriatric Patients: Effects of Age01:27

Pharmacodynamics in Geriatric Patients: Effects of Age

Age-related pharmacokinetic changes are extensively documented, but understanding age-related pharmacodynamic alterations is relatively limited. This knowledge gap can be partly attributed to the complexity of developing appropriate measures of drug responses compared to bioanalytical methods for determining drug concentrations.Most information regarding age-related differences in human pharmacodynamics originates from cross-sectional studies. However, these studies assume that observed mean...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Analysis of circumstances in police-related fatalities comparing medical examiner records with a public database.

Journal of forensic sciences·2026
Same author

X-linked SEPTIN6-related congenital neutropenia and B cell deficiency.

Journal of human immunity·2026
Same author

Molecular risk markers define risk of relapse in myeloid leukemia of Down syndrome beyond measurable residual disease.

Blood advances·2025
Same author

Law enforcement-associated fatalities: Thirty years of data from the King County Medical Examiner's Office, Seattle, Washington.

Journal of forensic sciences·2025
Same author

The Evolution and Recent Advances in Diagnostic Criteria for Idiopathic Multicentric Castleman Disease.

American journal of hematology·2025
Same author

Hematologic Findings in DEGCAGS Syndrome: A Diagnostic Consideration in a Patient With Suspected Inherited Bone Marrow Failure.

Pediatric blood & cancer·2025
Same journal

Fatal Case of Severe Meconium Aspiration Syndrome in a Neonate Following Out-of-Hospital Water Birth: A Case Report With Brief Review of Literature.

The American journal of forensic medicine and pathology·2026
Same journal

A Retrospective, Forensic, and Epidemiological Analysis of Reported Rabies-Related Deaths in Şanlıurfa Province, 2012-2023.

The American journal of forensic medicine and pathology·2026
Same journal

Fatal Sigmoidorectal Intussusception Associated With a Colonic Vascular Lesion Showing AVM-Like Features: A Rare Case.

The American journal of forensic medicine and pathology·2026
Same journal

The Relationship Between Body Mass Index and Suicide by Hanging: A Retrospective Forensic Assessment Based on Autopsies in Türkiye.

The American journal of forensic medicine and pathology·2026
Same journal

Cardiac Rupture Complicating Acute and Subacute Myocardial Infarction at Forensic Autopsy.

The American journal of forensic medicine and pathology·2026
Same journal

Heart Disease in Arrest-Related Death.

The American journal of forensic medicine and pathology·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 8, 2026

Design and Analysis for Fall Detection System Simplification
08:05

Design and Analysis for Fall Detection System Simplification

Published on: April 6, 2020

Elderly deaths due to ground-level falls.

Karen M Chisholm1, Richard C Harruff

  • 1Department of Pathology, Division of Medical Genetics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.

The American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology
|October 13, 2010
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Fatal falls in older adults are often caused by head injuries. Those with head injuries were younger, more likely male, and died sooner, especially if treated with anticoagulants.

More Related Videos

Using a Real-Time Locating System to Measure Walking Activity Associated with Wandering Behaviors Among Institutionalized Older Adults
04:13

Using a Real-Time Locating System to Measure Walking Activity Associated with Wandering Behaviors Among Institutionalized Older Adults

Published on: February 8, 2019

Exergaming in Older People Living with HIV Improves Balance, Mobility and Ameliorates Some Aspects of Frailty
07:27

Exergaming in Older People Living with HIV Improves Balance, Mobility and Ameliorates Some Aspects of Frailty

Published on: October 6, 2016

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 8, 2026

Design and Analysis for Fall Detection System Simplification
08:05

Design and Analysis for Fall Detection System Simplification

Published on: April 6, 2020

Using a Real-Time Locating System to Measure Walking Activity Associated with Wandering Behaviors Among Institutionalized Older Adults
04:13

Using a Real-Time Locating System to Measure Walking Activity Associated with Wandering Behaviors Among Institutionalized Older Adults

Published on: February 8, 2019

Exergaming in Older People Living with HIV Improves Balance, Mobility and Ameliorates Some Aspects of Frailty
07:27

Exergaming in Older People Living with HIV Improves Balance, Mobility and Ameliorates Some Aspects of Frailty

Published on: October 6, 2016

Area of Science:

  • Gerontology
  • Trauma Surgery
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Ground-level falls are a significant cause of mortality in individuals aged 65 and older.
  • Head injuries are a common and severe consequence of falls in the elderly population.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To analyze the characteristics of fatal ground-level falls in decedents aged 65 years and older.
  • To identify patterns and risk factors associated with fatal head injuries from falls in this demographic.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective analysis of 237 fatal ground-level falls reported to the Seattle-King County Medical Examiner's Office in 2007.
  • Comparison of decedents with head injuries versus those with nonhead injuries.

Main Results:

  • Head injuries accounted for 46% of fall-related deaths.
  • Decedents with head injuries were younger, more frequently male, and died sooner post-injury compared to those with nonhead injuries.
  • Anticoagulant use, particularly warfarin, was more common in head injury decedents (48% vs. 16%), who also sustained less severe head injuries on average.

Conclusions:

  • Head injuries are a primary cause of death in fatal falls among older adults.
  • Anticoagulant use may be associated with less severe head trauma in fatal falls, warranting further investigation.