Abstract

To clarify the characteristics of injuries caused by falling into an open drain in rural Japan. A medical chart review was retrospectively performed for all patients who were injured due to falling into an open drain and who were subsequently transported to the hospital by ambulance or a physician-staffed helicopter between January 2013 and January 2018 in Shizuoka. The patients were divided into two groups: those treated as outpatients and those who were admitted to the hospital. During the investigation period, there were 94 patients who had accidentally fallen into an open drain. The ages of the subjects ranged from 2 to 95 years, with an average age of 58.3 years. The average age of the subjects, the ratio of females and the average injury severity score in the admission group was higher than those in the outpatient group. Four patients in the admission group died compared to none in the outpatient group, a statistically significant difference. Injuries associated with falls into open drains are especially frequent among elderly people. Furthermore, females and older patients tended to more frequently require admission than males. To prevent injuries of this type, some measures are required to improve the safety of open drains.

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