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Table 1 Baseline characteristics of pre- and post-intervention groups

From: Impact of the Canadian CT head rule supplemented by the original published minimum inclusion criteria to assist emergency department clinicians’ assessment of patients presenting post fall from residential aged care: a retrospective audit

 

2018 (Pre-intervention)

n = 233

2019 (Post-intervention)

n = 241

p-value

Age range

89 (85–92)

88 (84–93)

0.02

median (IQR)

   

Gender n (%)

  

0.00

Female

134 (57.5%)

173 (71.8%)

 

Male

99 (42.5%)

68 (28.2%)

 

Medication total

median (IQR)

7 (4–11)

8 (5–11)

0.36

Medication missing n (%)

24 (10.3%)

23 (9.5%)

0.78

Cognitive impairment n (%)

151 (64.8%)

183 (75.9%)

0.01

Mobility prior to fall n (%)

  

0.02

Non-ambulant

Ambulant

Not documented

41 (17.6%)

176 (75.5%)

16 (6.9%)

24 (10.0%)

210 (87.1%)

7 (2.9%)

 

FRAT risk n (%)

  

0.00

High risk

Not documented

191 (82.0%)

42 (18.0%)

224 (93.0%)

17 (7.0%)

 

Anticoagulation n (%)

  

0.66

Anticoagulation

No anticoagulation

Not documented

108 (46.4%)

117 (50.2%)

8 (3.4%)

103 (42.7%)

131 (54.4%)

7 (2.9%)

 

Type of anticoagulation n (%)

  

0.00

Antiplatelet

DAPT

Warfarin

DOAC

Antiplatelet + warfarin

DAPT + DOAC or warfarin

64 (27.5%)

1 (0.4%)

17 (7.3%)

18 (7.7%)

5 (2.1%)

0 (0.0%)

48 (19.9%)

7 (2.9%)

12 (5.0%)

33 (13.7%)

0 (0%)

0 (0%)

 

LMWH

Antiplatelet + LMWH

Antiplatelet + DOAC

0 (0%)

2 (0.9%)

1 (0.4%)

0 (0%)

0 (0%)

3 (1.2%)

 

Witnessed fall n (%)

  

0.13

Witnessed

Not documented

21 (9.0%)

15 (6.4%)

26 (10.8%)

27 (11.2%)

 

Headstrike* n (%)

  

0.75

Headstrike

Not documented

110 (47.2%)

78 (33.5%)

118 (49.0%)

73 (30.3%)

 

Head injury** n (%)

  

0.02

Head injury

Not documented

86 (37.0%)

89 (38.2%)

105 (43.6%)

63 (26.1%)

 

Late presentation n (%) ***

1 (0.4%)

0 (0%)

0.49

LOC n (%)

  

0.33

LOC

Not documented

2 (0.9%)

121 (52.0%)

6 (2.5%)

129 (53.5%)

 

Headache n (%)

  

0.87

Headache

Not documented

14 (6.0%)

167 (71.7%)

15 (6.2%)

177 (73.4%)

 

Vomiting n (%)

  

0.08

Vomiting

Not documented

10 (4.3%)

191 (82.0%)

9 (3.7%)

180 (74.7%)

 

Neurological deficits n (%)

4 (1.7%)

5 (2.1%)

0.78

Change in GCS n (%)

  

0.19

Change in GCS

No change in GCS

Not documented

23 (9.9%)

160 (68.7%)

50 (21.5%)

23 (9.5%)

149 (61.8%)

69 (28.6%)

 

GCS in ED n (%)

  

0.45

Not documented

< 13

≥13

6 (2.6%)

27 (11.5%)

200 (85.8%)

2 (0.8%)

18 (7.4%)

221 (91.7%)

 
  1. FRAT Falls Risk Assessment Tool, DAPT Dual antiplatelet therapy, DOAC Direct oral anticoagulant, LMWH Low molecular weight heparin, LOC Loss of consciousness, GCS Glasgow Coma Score
  2. * ‘Headstrike’: confirmation that the patient actually hit their head when they fell
  3. ** ‘Head injury’: documentation of a visible injury (e.g., bruising or a laceration) associated with a headstrike
  4. *** ‘Late presentation’: patients who presented with an intracranial haemorrhage following a time lag from their initial fall injury. This was captured by reviewing 2 weeks of medical records prior to the index presentation to determine if there had been any previous fall injury