Socio-Demographic Profile of Fatal Cases of Fall from Height-SMS Hospital, Jaipur During the Year 2015–16

Steadily increasing urbanization and construction of multi-storeyed buildings has led to increase in incidences of fatalities due to fall from height. Fall from height is considered as polytrauma which causes severe and subsequent fatal injuries that may not be apparent during the initial assessment of the patient leading to missed injuries. A delay in diagnosis leads to increased, yet preventable morbidity and mortality.

The study was conducted at Department of Forensic Medicine & Toxicology, SMS Medical College, Jaipur. It was a Hospital based Descriptive type of Observational study including 100 cases during the period of April, 2015 to August, 2016.

Majority of victims were between 31–50 years of age (36%) with males preponderance(83%). Labourers were the most common victims of fall from height which was very significant. Majority of the falls in the present study occurred from terraces of houses and buildings (50%).

Lack of safety measures and unsafe practices at work seem to be one of the important parameters for such incidences resulting in fatality. Most of such episodes are potentially preventable by simple legislative measures and public awareness.