Since january 1st of this year, people over 65 years old had a fall in Europe, sometimes with serious consequences.
Since january 1st of this year, people over 65 years old had a fall in Europe, sometimes with serious consequences.
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Secondary consequences are related both to remaining on the ground for an extended period and to the fact that the person can no longer move.
The people who find themselves in these situations are mainly frail seniors, which explains why they are extremely affected by this type of complications.
- Eschars:
Being forced to remain on the ground, in an unpleasant and uncomfortable position, is responsible for prolonged pressure points on a same spot, with no possibility of shifting position. This excessive pressure crushes blood vessels, thereby suppressing blood circulation, which gradually leads to tissue hypoxia, i.e. a lack of oxygen. If this situation continues for an extended time, tissues start to deteriorate more or less quickly, leading to wounds known as eschars.
- Thromboembolic complications:
Phlebitis can be described as the formation of a blood clot in a vein, blocking it and preventing normal blood flow. Immobilisation is conducive to phlebitis, for it entails the stagnation of blood in the veins, which is favourable to the appearance of a clot. The phlebitis of the lower limbs is a serious illness, for the risk of an acute complication is associated with it: a pulmonary embolism, i.e. the migration of one of the clots into pulmonary veins.
For more information:
The phlebitis of the lower limbs is a frequent pathology (about 250,000 cases per year in France) and is responsible for (around) 10,000 deaths/year by pulmonary embolism.
- Infectious complications
- The rhabdomyolysis syndrome:
Prolonged muscled compression leads to the destruction of muscle cells, the content of which is released into blood circulation. Massive rhabdomyolysis can be life-threatening, with the sudden appearance of severe hyperkalemia which can affect heart rhythm and lead to acute renal failure.
- Dehydratation and undernutrition
- Hypothermia:
Hypothermia occurs when body temperature drops below 35°C.This drop in temperature occurs very gradually when a person is immobilised on the ground and exposed to cold for an extended period of time (bathroom tile, fall on a non-heated floor, etc.). In severe situations, the person can suffer from sleepiness or confusion.
- Lack of medical follow-up:
People lying down on the ground often do not have access to their usual treatment and if this situation continues for too long a time, they can miss taking several doses of their medicines. Should their treatment require regular intakes, this can have serious consequences: anticoagulants, treatment of diabetes, antiarrhythmics, etc.
- A high mortality rate
