SGE007
Authors
Dr. Christina Shenvi
Course Description
Falls from ground level are a common and serious cause of injury in older adults, often signaling underlying health issues rather than isolated accidents. This session equips learners with a structured, syndrome-informed approach to evaluating older adults who present to the ED after a fall. Participants will learn to assess for acute injuries, identify contributing factors such as medication effects or mobility limitations, and address long-term risks. Emphasis is placed on interdisciplinary collaboration, including early involvement of physical therapy, pharmacy, and outpatient services, to prevent recurrent falls and optimize patient outcomes.
Learning Objectives
- Recognize falls as the leading cause of trauma-related morbidity and mortality in older adults and understand the complexity of falls as a geriatric syndrome.
- Apply a geriatrics-adapted approach to trauma assessment and stabilization in older adults presenting after a fall.
Run Time: ~25 minutes
Target Audience: Emergency Department Clinical Staff
SAGE Program
These courses were developed for the Syllabus for Advancing Geriatric EM Education (SAGE). They’re designed to help medical residents better understand how to manage geriatric patients in the ED.