[Retrospective survey on falls among hospitalized patients]

Patients' falls are a frequent event, especially for hospitalised patients, with a substantial impact on their health and healthcare costs. In the Careggi Hospital (Florence) the reports of patients' falls were analysed to provide real-life based information on the problem and to explore the possibility of preventive planning. During the year 2000, 359 patients (0.44% of all admitted patients) suffered an event of fall. Medical wards and wards with stroke patients show the higher incidence of falls (0.71% and 0.66% of all admitted patients respectively). The larger majority of patients who fall (68.2%) were over 65 years and almost half (46.7%) of the falls occurred during the night shift. Up to 79% of patients reported some consequences but only 3.6% of them reported major consequences requiring a prognosis > 10 days. The preventive strategies adopted are described.