The epidemiology of injuries related to falling trees and tree branches

Trees are an essential component of our environment. However, falling trees and/or branches have the potential to cause serious morbidity and mortality. The aim of this study is to describe the nature and severity of tree related injuries based on admissions to a level 1 trauma centre.

A retrospective review of all trauma admissions related to accidental tree failures was undertaken from January 2013 to June 2021. Patients were identified from the trauma registry using ICD-10 code 'W20'. We included basic demographics, hospital admission details and inpatient mortality. Weather information was obtained through the Bureau of Meteorology and remoteness was classified using the Accessibility/Remoteness Index of Australia. Results are presented as mean, standard deviation, median and percentages.

Out of 13 884 admissions, 37 (0.26%) were attributed to trees. 21 (0.15%) of those were injuries due to accidental tree failures and were included in the analysis. 38% were considered to be severely injured based on an injury severity score of greater than 15. 23.8% were polytrauma patients. The chest was the most commonly injured body region (47.6%). Two patients required intensive care admission with ventilator support. The majority of injuries occurred in outer regional areas and 52% of patients were injured when wind speed exceeded 20 km/h.

We demonstrated that the likelihood of being injured by falling trees is very low. This information should be taken into account when planning future developments or considering the removal of existing trees in the interest of public safety.