Beware! Simple fall may lead to life-threatening consequences

Simple fall lands a boy in a life-threatening situation. Doctors advise not to neglect pain post-fall.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), one in three older adults falls each year. And falls are the number one cause of fractures in people, especially the elderly, resulting in fractures, cuts, and even serious head injuries. "Especially in the elderly or those people who have weak bones or are on certain medications like blood thinners, a fall can be dangerous," asserts Dr S.N Aravinda, Consultant, Internal Medicine, Aster RV Hospital.

Small Fall May Lead To Life-Threatening Conditions

Many falls do not cause injuries, but in some cases, it can cause a serious injury such as a broken bone or a head injury. In rare cases, it can even lead to life-threatening situations. For instance, an 11-year-old child landed in severe trouble due to a small fall while playing outdoors. The fall led to the rupture of the blood vessel in the liver to bleeding in the abdomen.

The boy suffered from stomach pain for a day post his fall. The family members consulted the local physician from the city immediately after the incident. But nothing helped the boy to stop his stomach pain. When he was unable to take the pain, the parents took him to the city-based Noble hospital.

Dr Shrikant Londhe, Consultant Interventional Radiologist from Noble Hospital, Pune, said, "The boy came with a complaint of severe stomach pain. Ultrasound sonography of the abdomen showed that there was a rupture of the hepatic artery. Timely treatment was crucial in this case. If the treatment had got delayed the boy could have landed in a serious condition posing threat to his life. We immediately performed endovascular embolization of the hepatic artery. In this procedure, a catheter (smaller tube-like material) was placed in the hepatic artery via one of the arteries in the leg. After that, the bleeding site was permanently closed without open surgery."

"It was unusual to see how a simple fall while playing can lead to such a severe injury. In children, there is less body fat in the abdomen. In adulthood, the fat in the abdomen protects from such severe injury from minor trauma. Therefore, it is advised to all the parents that not to ignore any local pain post-fall, especially when it is not relieved with medications. Post-surgery, the patient had a remarkable recovery and was discharged in two days," he added.

Effects Of The Fall May Not Be Immediately Evident

While a small fall may have dire consequences, sometimes its effects are not immediately evident. "The fall may have caused some internal injury, which has no immediate signs. But you may experience pain or other impact in the site of the injury," explained Dr S.N Aravinda.

"People with sports injuries, for example, may suffer a hairline fracture through play which they ignore or may not notice initially, but later find that there is a weakness in the site of the injury. If there has been a head injury, the person may develop a blood clot which could turn dangerous and eventually lead to death. However, this happens rarely," he continued. According to the expert, it is always a good idea to get yourself checked by a doctor in case of a fall.