[Accidental fall-induced craniocerebral injury].

If the effects of force on the head due to falls are subdivided into three subgroups (forehead, lateral parts of the head and occiput), it is to be observed that occipital traumas take first place in falling on or from stairs (51%) and in falling on the same level (57%). Persons under the influence of alcohol fall on the back of the head to a greater extent than persons not under the influence of alcohol. It is noteworthy that the base of the skull is frequently involved in cranial fractures (91%). Subdural hematoma was associated with a cranial fracture in a high percentage of cases (fall on or from stairs 91%, fall on the same level 75%). Epidural hematomas were both found in isolation and in combination with subdural hematomas (fall on or from stairs 12%, fall on the same level 17%). Falling as a fatal cause of death takes first place today before traffic accidents.