Falls from trees
Krishnarajah, V.
Ceylon Medical Journal 23(2-3): 76-78
1978
ISSN/ISBN: 0009-0875 PMID: 263415 Document Number: 127987
A review was made of 60 patients who had fallen out of trees during a year. Falling from trees is an occupational hazard of tropical fruit farmers, a rare cause of trauma, but a common cause of severe, crippling and often multiple injuries. It frequently resulted in spinal injury, and was the commonest cause of traumatic quadriplegia and paraplegia. The risk of fall and of sustaining spinal injury increased with age. Some school children also fell from fruit trees but they had a better chance of receiving relatively minor injuries. Methods of preventing or minimizing the risk of these injuries are highlighted.