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Media Relations

Older folks at higher risk of escalator injuries

Reuters Health
March 17, 2008

Older people should treat escalators with caution, and may want to use elevators instead if they have trouble keeping their balance, according to the authors of the first national study of escalator injuries in seniors.

Most injuries were due to slips, trips and falls, and typically involved the legs or head, Dr. Joseph O'Neil of the Indiana University School of Medicine in Indianapolis and colleagues found. The injury rate was higher among older people, who were also more likely to require hospitalization.

"While all age groups could be at risk for an escalator-related injury, older adults may experience a more serious outcome," the researchers write in the journal Accident Analysis and Prevention.

O'Neil and his team looked at U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission Data on escalator-related injuries among adults 65 and older between 1991 and 2005 representing an estimated 39,850 emergency room visits nationwide.

The rate of injuries steadily rose during the study period, the researchers found, doubling between 1991 and 2005. Injured individuals' average age was about 80, and nearly three-quarters were female.

Read the entire story here: http://uk.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUKARM78210320080317

Learn more about the Indiana University School of Medicine here: http://www.medicine.iu.edu/

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