In 2018, about 2.4 million emergency department visits involved older Americans with injuries, more than 90 percent of which stemmed from unintentional falls, according to the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report published May 7.
For the report, CDC analyzed 2018 data on ED visits involving adults 65 and older at 990 hospitals nationwide.
Four things to know:
1. Unintentional falls accounts for 91.8 percent of injury-related ED visits, followed by car crashes (7.8 percent).
2. The ED visit rate for unintentional falls was 41.7 percent higher among women than men. In contrast, men were more likely to visit the ED for overdose-related visits.
3. In total, ED visits related to nonfatal injuries from falls, crashes, opioid overdoses and self-harm led to more than 700,000 hospitalizations among older adults in 2018.
4. These findings are significant, as injuries are a leading cause of death among older adults, the CDC said.
To view the full report, click here.