The
second leading cause of
emergency department
visits was motor vehicle
crashes (10 percent), followed
by being struck by
or against an object (7 percent),
overexertion (6 percent),
and cut or pierce
injury (4 percent). These
five mechanisms of injury
accounted for nine out of
ten nonfatal injuries
among older adults. The
most common diagnoses
for these nonfatal injuries
were fractures, contusions
and abrasions, strains and
sprains, and lacerations.
Last, 17 percent of those
who sustained these injuries were hospitalized,
with falls being the most likely to result in a hospitalization
(22 percent), and cut or pierce injuries
being the least likely (2 percent).