- Ruth Bader Ginsburg has been admitted to the hospital
- complications and deaths linked to rib fractures are more common in older adults than in younger people.
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85 year-old Ruth Bader Ginsburg just broke three ribs in a fall — here's why rib fractures in older adults can be so dangerous
Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was admitted to the hospital after breaking 3 ribs. Broken ribs are especially dangerous for older adults.
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This is not the first time Ginsburg has sustained an injury to her ribs. In August 2012, Reuters reported that the then 78-year-old fractured two ribs in June of that year. Ginsburg said she, "thought it was nothing," and was quickly back at work.
"She indeed did not skip a beat and did not feel it rose to a serious health concern,"
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The Mayo Clinic Health Letter said about 30 to 35% of people over 65 who have rib fractures develop pneumonia, which can be life-threatening.
A review published in 2012 also concluded that being over the age of 65 is a risk factor for death in patients who experience blunt chest wall trauma. (Researchers also cited fracturing three or more ribs and having a pre-existing health condition as risk factors.)
These serious complications aren't necessarily exclusive to severe chest injuries, like those that can occur during a car crash. They may even happen after mild to moderate trauma, such as a fall from standing, according to the Mayo Clinic.
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