Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 10, 2025
Assessment of Dependence in Activities of Daily Living Among Older Patients in an Acute Care Unit
Published on: September 30, 2020
Association between self-reported falling risk and risk of hospitalization for patients with chronic obstructive
Katherine C Ritchey1, Abebaw M Yohannes2, Emily R Locke3
1Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center (GRECC), VA Puget Sound Health Care System, 1660 S. Columbian Way, Seattle, WA, USA; Division of Geriatrics and Gerontology, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine, 325 9th Ave, Box 359755, Seattle, WA, 98104-2499, USA.
Rationale:
The association between self-report falling risk in persons with COPD and hospitalization has not been previously explored.
Objective:
To examine whether self-reported risk is associated with hospitalizations in patients with COPD.
Methods:
A secondary analysis from a prospective observational cohort study of veterans with COPD. Participants completed questions from the Stopping Elderly Accidents, Deaths and Injuries (STEADI) tool kit at either baseline or at the end of the 12-month study. A prospective or cross-sectional analysis examined the association between responses to the STEADI questions and risk of all-cause or COPD hospitalizations.
Results:
Participants (N = 388) had a mean age of 69.6 ± 7.5 years, predominately male (96 %), and 144 (37.1 %) reported having fallen in the last year. More than half reported feeling unsteady with walking (52.6 %) or needing to use their arms to stand up from a chair (61.1 %). A third were concerned about falling (33.3 %). Three questions were associated with all-cause (not COPD) hospitalization in both unadjusted and adjusted cross-sectional analysis (N = 213): "fallen in the past year" (IRR 1.77, 95 % CI 1.10 to 2.86); "unsteady when walking" (IRR 1.88, 95 % CI 1.14 to 3.10); "advised to use a cane or walker" (IRR 1.89, 95 % CI 1.16 to 3.08).
Conclusions:
The prevalence of self-reported falling risk was high in this sample of veterans with COPD. The association between falling risk and all-cause hospitalization suggests that non-COPD hospitalizations can negatively impact intrinsic risk factors for falling. Further research is needed to clarify the effects of all-cause hospitalization on falling risk in persons with COPD.
More Related Videos
04:53Author Spotlight: Traditional Chinese Medicine for Sleep Disorders in Acute COPD — A Safe, Cost-Effective Approach
Published on: October 18, 2024
05:15Cutoff Value of Phase Angle by Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis at Admission as a Prognostic Factor in Patients with Acute Heart Failure
Published on: June 10, 2025
Related Concept Videos
01:27Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease-IV: Assessement and Diagnostic Studies
Medical History
01:25Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease-III: Symptoms and Complications.
Symptoms of COPD can be classified as primary or systemic. Primary symptoms relate to reduced airflow, while systemic or extrapulmonary symptoms relate to COPD's broader impact on the body.
Primary Symptoms of COPD:
01:20Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease-I: Introduction
01:22Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
Smoking is a primary risk factor for COPD, with over 80% of patients having a history of it. Patients typically experience progressive dyspnea or labored breathing, frequent coughing, and recurrent pulmonary infections. Many eventually succumb to respiratory failure, characterized by...
01:30Pneumonia I: Introduction
Risk Factors
Various factors influence the likelihood of developing pneumonia. Age plays a crucial role, with infants, children under two, and individuals over 65 at increased risk due to their...
01:20Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease-II: Pathophysiology
Chronic Inflammation