Deaths due to fall from height are increasing yearly. Victims of fall from height tend to sustain a unique pattern of injuries that depends on many factors. Therefore, the present work aimed to determine and analyze the pattern of fatal injuries of fall from height among deaths on which medicolegal autopsies were conducted at Cairo Department of Forensic Medicine (Zenhum morgue), Ministry of Justice, Egypt, during the period from 1st January 2009 to 31th December 2013. Data was obtained from available medicolegal reports and was statistically analyzed. There were 270 fall from height deaths representing 3.25% of the total deaths received during the study period. Most of them were males in the age group (19-40) years and from urban areas (55.9%, 59.5% and 55.2% respectively). Most of the victims (23%) were workers followed by students and housewives (19.8% for each). There was a high prevalence (75.6%) of blunt trauma and multiple injuries were the most common injured anatomical region (67.4%), followed by the head (27.0%). Home was the most common scene of fall (50.7%) followed by workplace (34.1%). Accidental manner was the most common (37.8%) and the majority (87.4%) of cases sustained high falls (height >20 feet). The majority (77%) of cases showed negative toxicological analysis and among cases with positive toxicological analysis alcohol was the most common (32.3%). Falling at home was significantly common in females and in age groups (≤18), (19-40) and (˃60) years; meanwhile falling at work place was significantly common in males and in age group (41-60) years. |
