J Korean Clin Nurs Res.  2017 Aug;23(2):202-210. 10.22650/JKCNR.2017.23.2.202.

Factors Associated with Injuries after Inpatient Falls in a Tertiary Hospital

• Cho MS
• Lee HY

• KMID: 2397658
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.22650/JKCNR.2017.23.2.202

Abstract

PURPOSE
In this study an investigation was done of injuries from inpatient falls and diagnostic tests and treatment after falls to identify what factors affect the occurrence of injury from inpatient falls in a tertiary hospital.
METHODS
Data for this cross-sectional study were retrieved for 428 fall events from data reported between January 1 and December 31, 2015 and were retrieved from the patient-safety reporting system in the hospital's electronic health records. A multivariate logistic regression model was developed with STATA 13.0.
RESULTS
Of the patients, 197 (46.0%) had physical injuries due to falls, 119 (27.8%) were given further diagnostic tests, and 358 (83.6%) received treatment including close observation after inpatient falls. Logistic-regression results identified that age, department, and risk factors had significant impact on injuries from falls.
CONCLUSION
identified that age, department, and risk factors had significant impact on injuries from falls. Conclusion: Findings indicate that to reduce the severity of injury after inpatient falls, each hospital should regularly evaluate identified factors, design fall-prevention practices specialized for elders and vulnerable patients, and initiate environmental and equipment innovations.

Keyword

Accidental Falls; Injuries; Inpatients

MeSH Terms

Accidental Falls*
Cross-Sectional Studies
Diagnostic Tests, Routine
Electronic Health Records
Humans
Inpatients*
Logistic Models
Risk Factors
Tertiary Care Centers*