Risk factors responsible for patients' falls

The study determined intrinsic factors which contributed to the falls of adults hospitalized in a general hospital during 1987-88. Two hundred and fourteen patients were studied in two groups. Group A consisted of 108 patients who fell during their hospitalization and control Group B consisted of 106 patients with the same characteristics also hospitalized during the same period who did not fall. Of the 23 variables which have been analyzed by the multivariate logistic regression method, seven present statistically significant incidence and increased risk of patients' falls: (1) gender: the number of accidents occurring among male patients was higher than that among females (p = 0.0022); (2) age: the majority of accidents occurred in the 65 greater than or equal to years old age group (p = 0.00426); (3) general pathological conditions: mostly patients with cardiac problems (p = 0.0062); (4) neoplasms (p = 0.0334); (5) anaemias (p = 0.0128); (6) post-operative conditions (p = 0.0063); and the taking of hypnotic/tranquilizer drugs (p = 0.0486). Other significant findings were: the highest incidence of falls occurred during the first 4 days of the patients' admission to hospital and most during the early morning hours (5-6 am). Injuries incurred were bruises (32.4%), minor injuries (24%), major injuries (16.7%) and fractures (10.2%). The high correlation between patients' falls and (1) specific diseases, namely neoplasms, anaemias, cardiac and post-operative conditions and (2) the taking of hypnotic/tranquilizer drugs are risk factors in relation to patients' falls in general hospitals.