Incidence and Associated Risk Factors for Falls in Adults Following Critical Illness: An Observational Study

Area of Science:

• Critical Care Medicine
• Gerontology
• Rehabilitation Science

Background:

• Survivors of critical illness often experience long-term functional decline.
• Falls are a common and serious adverse event in post-hospitalization periods.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the incidence of falls in the first year after hospital discharge among intensive care unit (ICU) survivors.
• To identify risk factors associated with falls in this vulnerable population.

Main Methods:

• Prospective observational study conducted in a university-affiliated mixed ICU.
• One hundred adult ICU patients requiring invasive ventilation for at least 48 hours were monitored for falls over one year.
• Data collected included fall frequency, time to first fall, fall severity, and assessments of balance, strength, cognition, and quality of life.

Main Results:

• Sixty-one percent of survivors experienced at least one fall within the first year post-discharge.
• The overall falls incidence rate was 4.4 falls per person-year, with a peak incidence within three months of discharge.
• Injurious falls requiring medical attention occurred in one in four participants, and key risk factors included comorbidities and impaired balance/strength.

Conclusions:

• ICU survivors have a high incidence of falls, particularly in the early post-discharge period.
• A critical window for falls exists within the first three months after hospital discharge.
• Screening, medication review, and exercise interventions are recommended to mitigate fall risk in this population.