Falls From Height, Facial Injuries and Fatalities: An Institutional Review

Study Design Retrospective cohort review. Objective To investigate the relationship between falls from height and facial injuries. Methods This is a retrospective cohort study, conducted over a 7-year period, of the medical records of all patients who presented to hospital for a maxillofacial injury following a fall from height. Fall heights were classified as low falls (1–3 m), high falls (3–10 m) and very high falls (≥10 m). Results A total of 111 patients with 218 facial bone fractures were identified (78 men, 33 women and mean age 50.3 years). High falls were the most common (n = 58, 52.3%). Multiple fractures were identified in 51 (46.0%) patients. Orbital and middle third fractures were the most prevalent. Nasal, mandible, bilateral and fractures involving more than one facial third, increased as fall height increased, as did the requirement for operative fixation. The majority of patients had an associated injury (n = 100, 90.1%) and overall mortality was 6.3%. Conclusions Falls from height are prevalent and there is a trend towards increased severity of facial injury, surgical intervention and associated morbidity as fall height increases. Falls from height are a significant public health concern and an important facet of maxillofacial trauma to recognise, as is the requirement for an interdisciplinary approach as they present to hospital.

Potential of impact-based weight sensing of individual Chinese cabbage for real-time yield monitoring

Yield monitoring is one of the basic components of precision agriculture. It provides information on the spatial variability of yield in the field. The objective of this study was to estimate the weight of Chinese cabbage through impact force measurements using a weighing sensor. The sensor was installed to receive the impact of Cabbage as it dropped off an inclined conveyor. The investigated experimental variables were fall height, plate angle to the horizontal, and conveyor speed. The load cell was calibrated, with an R2 value of 0.96. The mean absolute percentage error (MAPE), root-mean-square error (RMSE), and correlation coefficient (R2) were the statistical indicators used to describe the accuracy of the estimates. The fall height had little effect on the precision of the yield sensor. The least sensing precision was 18.75%, observed at an angle of 30° with a conveyor speed of 0.05ms-1. The MAPE for cabbage weights were<3% at 40° and 0.2 ms−1 for both fall heights. The experiments showed the potential of measuring individual cabbage weights for yield estimation.

Fall from standing height, or greater, and mortality among ambulance-transported patients with major trauma from falls

Introduction This study describes the relationship between falls from standing height, or greater, and mortality in ambulance-transported patients with major trauma from falls. Methods Road ambulance records from 1 January 2013 to 31 December 2016 were linked with WA State Trauma Registry records to identify ambulance-transported falls patients with major trauma. Results Of the patients who fell from standing level, 114/460 (25%) died within 30 days, compared with 47/222 (21%) who fell from height (p=0.64). Conclusion Mortality is relatively high, and fall height is not associated with 30-day survival, among ambulance-transported patients with major trauma in metropolitan Perth, Western Australia.

EFFECTS OF WRIST GUARD AND ELBOW ARREST STRATEGY ON IMPACT FORCE IN FORWARD FALLS

Wrist guards are widely used for preventing distal radius fracture during in-line skating and snowboard-related activities. However, more than half of people wearing wrist guards nonetheless sustain a fracture of the wrist in forward falls. Accordingly, this study evaluates the effects of three factors, namely the wrist guard design, the fall height and the arrest strategy, on the impact force during a forward fall onto a single outstretched hand. Fifteen physically healthy male participants volunteered for the biomechanical investigation. None of the participants had a previous history of upper extremity injuries or disorders. A 1000[Formula: see text]Hz AMTI force plate was used to measure the ground reaction force (GRF) in forward falls performed using a self-built release system onto a single hand. The GRF and impact time were analyzed in terms of three factors, namely (1) the wrist guard design, including bare hand (BH), conventional wrist guard (WG), wrist guard pad on palm (WG+), and WG+ with no lower splint (WG[Formula: see text]; (2) the elbow arrest strategy, including elbow extended and elbow flexed; and (3) the fall height, including 4[Formula: see text]cm and 8[Formula: see text]cm. The impact force and loading rate significantly increased with an increasing fall height. However, the elbow flexed strategy attenuated the GRF peak force and delayed the point of peak impact force. The GRF in the WG, WG+ and WG− conditions was significantly lower than that in the BH condition. Overall, a lower fall height, a wrist guard with a compliant pad (WG+ or WG[Formula: see text], and an elbow flexed strategy reduced the impact force, delayed the peak impact force, and reduced the loading rate in forward falls.

Factors influencing the injury severity score and the probability of survival in patients who fell from height

In Japan, falls from height result in the second highest trauma mortality rate after traffic motor vehicle collisions and the highest trauma-related mortality rate amongst young people. We aimed to identify factors that worsen injury severity and lower survival probability of patients who fell from height and to contribute to the improvement of their prehospital and in-hospital care. This retrospective analysis retrieved hospital records of 179 patients aged ≥ 15 years who were transported to our hospital after a fall from height during April 2014–March 2020. On multiple regression analysis, fall height ≥ 5 m more significantly resulted in higher the injury severity score. Logistic regression analysis revealed that fall height ≥ 5 m with the reference of 2–3 m significantly resulted in lower the survival probability with odds ratio (95% confidence interval) of 0.10 (0.02–0.55). Using ‘feet-first’ as the reference body position, the odds ratios (95% confidence interval) of survival for those who impacted the surface on the lateral or dorsal regions were 0.11 (0.02–0.64) and 0.17 (0.03–0.99), respectively. Collecting information on the abovementioned factors at pre-hospitalisation may facilitate prompt diagnosis and treatment. These results may help improve prehospital and in-hospital care, avoiding preventable trauma deaths.

Assessment and Clinical Outcomes of Fall Related Injuries at Emergency

Background and objectives: Falls are significant cause of mortality and morbidity with a considerable burden on societies, families and victims. The study aims to determine the interventions and outcomes of fall-related injuries, and the association between injury se-verity and fall height. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 322 fall-related in-jured persons in West and East emergency hospitals in Erbil City from September 2020 to February 2021. Study sample demography, location of injury, place of affected body re-gions, outcome, and hospital stay were analyzed. Results: Of the 322 patients studied, 68.9% were males, and 31.1% were female. Less than half of the samples (48.8%) were between the ages 18 to 36 years old. The most common location for fall-related injuries was residential facilities (44.1%) followed by the place of work (35.1%). According to the type of fall, fall from ground was 38.4%, and fall from a fall height of 1-3 meters was 48.8%. Finally, according to the injury classification, more than half (56.5%) of the study sample had a significant degree of severity. The discharged status of disposition at the emergency room had the highest percentage (64.9%) of the study sample. There was a significant difference between the scores of the items of fall conse-quences and outcomes regarding to type of ground (soft or hard). There was a significant relationship between injury severity and fall height (p-value = 0.00). Conclusion: Fall-related injuries are the most common cases at emergency departments in Erbil city. Among ages 18 to 36, men are more frequently exposed to falls than women. The highest risk of fall is occupation with construction laborers at the greatest risk. Fall-related injury is a burden on the health care system, particularly on emergency services in developing countries like Iraq in relations cost of care and resources.

Analisis Potensi Pembangkit Listrik Tenaga Mikro Hydro Pada Anak Sungai di Bulungan

ABSTRAK Energi listrik merupakan energi utama masyarakat pada era globalisasi. Perusahaan Listrik Nasional (PLN) masih belum bisa menjangkau daerah – daerah terpencil khususnya daerah kabupaten Bulungan yang memiliki banyak daerah terpencil. Masalah ini dapat diatasi dengan memanfaatkan anak sungai yang ada di kabupaten Bulungan sebagai sumber energi listrik. Penelitian ini dimulai dengan survey memilih 20 titik anak sungai yang akan diteliti di kabupaten Bulungan. Selanjutnya pengambilan data yaitu luas penampang sungai, kecepatan aliran sungai, dan tinggi jatuh air. Data ini akan dianalisis dengan menggunakan rumus agar memperoleh nilai daya teoritis yang dihasilkan oleh masing – masing sungai yang telah ditentukan. Hasil penelitian inimenunjukkan diantara 20 anak sungai yang diteliti hanya 2 anak sungai yang memiliki potensi yaitu sungai 9 dengan daya 5,5 kW dan sungai 14 dengan daya 8,5 kW. Hasil penelitian ini dapat dikembangkan lagi agar dapat bermanfaat bagi pengembangan daerah – daerah terpencil yang tidak terjangkau PLN. Kata kunci : Daya, Energi Terbarukan, PLTMH ABSTRACT Electrical energy is the main energy of society in the era of globalization. Perusahaan Listrik Nasional (PLN) is still unable to reach remote areas, especially the Bulungan district which has many remote areas. This problem can be overcome by utilizing tributaries in Bulungan district as a source of electrical energy. This research began with a survey selecting 20 tributary points to be studied in Bulungan district. Furthermore, data collection was the cross-sectional area of the river, river flow velocity, and water fall height. This data was analyzed using a formula in order to obtain the theoretical power value generated by each predetermined river. The results of this study indicatde that among the 20 tributaries studied, only 2 tributaries have potential, namely river 9 with a power of 5.5 kW and river 14 with a power of 8.5 kW. It is hoped that the results of this research can be further developed so that they can be useful for the development of remote areas that are not reached by PLN. Keyword: PLTMH, Power, Renewable Energy

The Effect of Impact Angle and Fall Height on Skull Fracture Patterns in Infants

Skull fracture is a common finding for both accidental and abusive head trauma in infants and young children, and may provide important clues as to the energy and directionality of the event leading to the skull fracture. However, little is understood regarding the mechanics of skull fracture in the pediatric skull, and how accidental fall parameters contribute to skull fracture patterns. The objectives of this research were to utilize a newly developed linear elastic fracture mechanics finite element model of infant skull fracture to investigate the effect of impact angle and fall height on the predictions of skull fracture patterns in infants. Nine impact angles of right parietal bone impacts were simulated from three different heights onto a rigid plate. The average ± standard deviation of the distance between the impact location and fracture initiation site was 8.0 ± 5.9 mm. Impact angle significantly affected the fracture initiation site (p &lt; 0.0001) and orientation (p &lt; 0.0001). A 15 deg variation in impact angle changed the initiation site up to 47 mm. The orientation of the fracture pattern was dependent on the impact location and ran either horizontal or vertical toward the ossification center of the bone. Fall height significantly affected the fracture length (p = 0.0356). Specifically, at the same impact angle, a 0.3 m increase in fall height increased the skull fracture length by 21.39 ± 34.26 mm. These data indicate that environmental variability needs to be carefully considered when evaluating infant skull fracture patterns from low-height falls.