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Sleeping Accidents in the Elderly
Author(s) -
Byard Roger W.,
Gilbert John D.
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
journal of forensic sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.715
H-Index - 96
eISSN - 1556-4029
pISSN - 0022-1198
DOI - 10.1111/j.1556-4029.2011.01838.x
Subject(s) - poison control , injury prevention , occupational safety and health , medical emergency , forensic engineering , human factors and ergonomics , suicide prevention , medicine , engineering , pathology
Two cases of dangerous sleeping environments in the elderly are reported to demonstrate similarities and differences of these “sleeping accidents” to similar episodes that occur in infants and children. Case reports: An 87‐year‐old wheelchair‐bound man with a history of dementia was found in his nursing home room hanging off the side of the bed from a vertical metal bar, and an 87‐year‐old woman with epilepsy, ischemic heart disease, and insulin‐dependent diabetes mellitus was found in hospital wedged between an inflatable mattress and the bars of her bed. These cases demonstrate that, as in the very young, relatively poor coordination and strength in the elderly often with limited comprehension and ability to deal with dangerous environments may predispose to sleeping accidents. Significant underlying organic disease may, however, make determination of the precise lethal mechanisms difficult. Modification of beds should only be undertaken when safety issues have been carefully evaluated.