J Korean Acad Nurs.  2017 Jun;47(3):420-430. 10.4040/jkan.2017.47.3.420.

Characteristics and Risk Factors for Falls in Tertiary Hospital Inpatients

• Choi EJ
• Lee YS
• Yang EJ
• Kim JH
• Kim YH
• Park HA

• KMID: 2426470
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4040/jkan.2017.47.3.420

Abstract

PURPOSE
The aim of this study was to explore characteristics of and risk factors for accidental inpatient falls.
METHODS
Participants were classified as fallers or non-fallers based on the fall history of inpatients in a tertiary hospital in Seoul between June 2014 and May 2015. Data on falls were obtained from the fall report forms and data on risk factors were obtained from the electronic nursing records. Characteristics of fallers and non-fallers were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Risk factors for falls were identified using univariate analyses and logistic regression analysis.
RESULTS
Average length of stay prior to the fall was 21.52 days and average age of fallers was 61.37 years. Most falls occurred during the night shifts and in the bedroom and were due to sudden leg weakness during ambulation. It was found that gender, BMI, physical problems such elimination, gait, vision and hearing and medications such as sleeping pills, antiarrhythmics, vasodilators, and muscle relaxant were statistically significant factors affecting falls.
CONCLUSION
The findings show that there are significant risk factors such as BMI and history of surgery which are not part of fall assessment tools. There are also items on fall assessment tools which are not found to be significant such as mental status, emotional unstability, dizziness, and impairment of urination. Therefore, these various risk factors should be examined in the fall risk assessments and these risk factors should be considered in the development of fall assessment tools.

Keyword

Accidental falls; Risk factors; Inpatients; Patient safety

MeSH Terms

Accidental Falls/*statistics & numerical data
Adult
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Body Mass Index
Female
Gait/physiology
Hearing Loss
Humans
Inpatients
Logistic Models
Male
Middle Aged
Risk Factors
Sex Factors
Tertiary Care Centers
Vision, Low
Young Adult

Reference

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