Comparison of traumatic brain injury resulting from stair-related falls to falls from standing height—a neurotrauma center cohort
BackgroundFalls are the leading cause of traumatic brain injury (TBI) in high-income countries, and globally, the incidence of fall-related injuries is projected to rise. In this study, we compare TBI resulting from stair-related falls (SRFs) to falls from standing height (FSH), analyzing their epid...
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-07-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Neurology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fneur.2025.1599229/full |
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| author | Cathrine Tverdal Andrew Reiner Eirik Helseth Eirik Helseth Torgeir Hellstrøm Unn Sollid Manskow Unn Sollid Manskow Mads Aarhus Mads Aarhus Karoline Skogen Pål Rønning Dag Ferner Netteland Dag Ferner Netteland |
| author_facet | Cathrine Tverdal Andrew Reiner Eirik Helseth Eirik Helseth Torgeir Hellstrøm Unn Sollid Manskow Unn Sollid Manskow Mads Aarhus Mads Aarhus Karoline Skogen Pål Rønning Dag Ferner Netteland Dag Ferner Netteland |
| author_sort | Cathrine Tverdal |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | BackgroundFalls are the leading cause of traumatic brain injury (TBI) in high-income countries, and globally, the incidence of fall-related injuries is projected to rise. In this study, we compare TBI resulting from stair-related falls (SRFs) to falls from standing height (FSH), analyzing their epidemiology and outcomes.MethodsIn a single-center, registry-based cohort study using the Oslo TBI Registry-Neurosurgery (OTBIR-N), we identified adults (≥18 years) admitted to Oslo University Hospital with TBI from either SRFs or FSH between 2015 and 2022. Epidemiology and outcome measures were compared between the two groups, and a multivariate logistic regression model was used to evaluate the adjusted effect of the fall mechanisms on dichotomized functional outcome (Glasgow outcome score (GOS) 1–3 vs. GOS 4–5).ResultsA total of 1,432 patients with a median age of 71 years were included. SRFs represented 25%, while FSH represented 52% of all fall-related TBIs. SRF patients were generally younger and healthier, with a higher frequency of moderate to severe TBI than FSH patients (53% vs. 31%; p < 0.001). SRFs also occurred more often during evenings and nights, on weekends, and were more often related to alcohol influence (58% vs. 22%; p < 0.001). Both fall types resulted in unfavorable functional outcomes (GOS 1–3) for a substantial proportion of patients (37% in SRFs and 42% in FSH; p = 0.066). When adjusting for covariates in the multivariable logistic regression model, there was a tendency of SRFs being associated with unfavorable outcomes compared to FSH, but the effect was not statistically significant (OR 1.43, 95%CI 0.97–2.12; p = 0.073).ConclusionSRFs represented a considerable proportion of fall-related TBIs and were associated with poor outcomes in a substantial proportion of patients. Targeted public awareness campaigns addressing the risks associated with staircases, especially when combined with alcohol influence, seem warranted to prevent such injuries. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-0ba227f87c834c4cb98d3edd690c3696 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 1664-2295 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
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| series | Frontiers in Neurology |
| spelling | doaj-art-0ba227f87c834c4cb98d3edd690c36962025-08-20T02:44:29ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Neurology1664-22952025-07-011610.3389/fneur.2025.15992291599229Comparison of traumatic brain injury resulting from stair-related falls to falls from standing height—a neurotrauma center cohortCathrine Tverdal0Andrew Reiner1Eirik Helseth2Eirik Helseth3Torgeir Hellstrøm4Unn Sollid Manskow5Unn Sollid Manskow6Mads Aarhus7Mads Aarhus8Karoline Skogen9Pål Rønning10Dag Ferner Netteland11Dag Ferner Netteland12Department of Neurosurgery, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, NorwayOslo Centre for Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, NorwayDepartment of Neurosurgery, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, NorwayFaculty of Medicine, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, NorwayDepartment of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, NorwayCentre for Clinical Documentation and Evaluation (SKDE), Northern Norway Regional Health Authority, Tromsø, NorwayDepartment of Health and Care Sciences, Centre for Care Research, UiT- The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, NorwayDepartment of Neurosurgery, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, NorwayFaculty of Medicine, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, NorwayDepartment of Radiology, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, NorwayDepartment of Neurosurgery, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, NorwayDepartment of Neurosurgery, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, NorwayFaculty of Medicine, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, NorwayBackgroundFalls are the leading cause of traumatic brain injury (TBI) in high-income countries, and globally, the incidence of fall-related injuries is projected to rise. In this study, we compare TBI resulting from stair-related falls (SRFs) to falls from standing height (FSH), analyzing their epidemiology and outcomes.MethodsIn a single-center, registry-based cohort study using the Oslo TBI Registry-Neurosurgery (OTBIR-N), we identified adults (≥18 years) admitted to Oslo University Hospital with TBI from either SRFs or FSH between 2015 and 2022. Epidemiology and outcome measures were compared between the two groups, and a multivariate logistic regression model was used to evaluate the adjusted effect of the fall mechanisms on dichotomized functional outcome (Glasgow outcome score (GOS) 1–3 vs. GOS 4–5).ResultsA total of 1,432 patients with a median age of 71 years were included. SRFs represented 25%, while FSH represented 52% of all fall-related TBIs. SRF patients were generally younger and healthier, with a higher frequency of moderate to severe TBI than FSH patients (53% vs. 31%; p < 0.001). SRFs also occurred more often during evenings and nights, on weekends, and were more often related to alcohol influence (58% vs. 22%; p < 0.001). Both fall types resulted in unfavorable functional outcomes (GOS 1–3) for a substantial proportion of patients (37% in SRFs and 42% in FSH; p = 0.066). When adjusting for covariates in the multivariable logistic regression model, there was a tendency of SRFs being associated with unfavorable outcomes compared to FSH, but the effect was not statistically significant (OR 1.43, 95%CI 0.97–2.12; p = 0.073).ConclusionSRFs represented a considerable proportion of fall-related TBIs and were associated with poor outcomes in a substantial proportion of patients. Targeted public awareness campaigns addressing the risks associated with staircases, especially when combined with alcohol influence, seem warranted to prevent such injuries.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fneur.2025.1599229/fulltraumatic brain injuryepidemiologyfallsstairsstanding heightadults |
| spellingShingle | Cathrine Tverdal Andrew Reiner Eirik Helseth Eirik Helseth Torgeir Hellstrøm Unn Sollid Manskow Unn Sollid Manskow Mads Aarhus Mads Aarhus Karoline Skogen Pål Rønning Dag Ferner Netteland Dag Ferner Netteland Comparison of traumatic brain injury resulting from stair-related falls to falls from standing height—a neurotrauma center cohort Frontiers in Neurology traumatic brain injury epidemiology falls stairs standing height adults |
| title | Comparison of traumatic brain injury resulting from stair-related falls to falls from standing height—a neurotrauma center cohort |
| title_full | Comparison of traumatic brain injury resulting from stair-related falls to falls from standing height—a neurotrauma center cohort |
| title_fullStr | Comparison of traumatic brain injury resulting from stair-related falls to falls from standing height—a neurotrauma center cohort |
| title_full_unstemmed | Comparison of traumatic brain injury resulting from stair-related falls to falls from standing height—a neurotrauma center cohort |
| title_short | Comparison of traumatic brain injury resulting from stair-related falls to falls from standing height—a neurotrauma center cohort |
| title_sort | comparison of traumatic brain injury resulting from stair related falls to falls from standing height a neurotrauma center cohort |
| topic | traumatic brain injury epidemiology falls stairs standing height adults |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fneur.2025.1599229/full |
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