Vinsas Janušonis
Abstract
The aim of the study – to analyze the long – term experience of inpatients falls in multiprofile hospital, to estimate risk factors and consequences for falls and the possibilities of prevention. Material and methods. From January 2000 to December 2014 the survey was performed in Klaipeda university hospital. The study included 147 in patients who have experienced a fall. The data was collected via adverse event (a fall) reporting forms. The findings according to patient’s age and gender, health care profile, risk factors and consequences for falls, the possibilities of prevention during the periods of 2000-2004, 2005-2009 and 2010- 2014 were analyzed and compared. Results. The research showed the frequency of inpatients falls was 0, 01 for one bed and 0, 03 for one patient stay in hospital day. The clinical diagnosis of the majority number of patients (40, 1%) was cerebrovascular disorders (stroke and others). 91, 9% of falls took place in territory of clinical departments. Two – thirds (66%) of patients hadn’t consequences after the falls, 16, 3% of patients suffered bone fractures. The main direct causes of patients falls had links with disease and was dizziness, and disorder of balance (54%). The main indirect causes of patients falls was their individual characteristics (88, 4% by medics’ and 91, 2% by experts’ assessment). The majority of inpatients falls (59, 2% in medics’ and 56, 9% in experts’ opinion) were totally or partly avoidable. Conclusions. The number of inpatients falls and its consequences remained basically stable during the analized periods. The majority of inpatients experiences a fall had cerebrovascular disorders. The main reason of inpatients falls was their individual characteristics. More than half of the inpatients falls could have been avoided with the application of systemic prevention measures.
Keyword(s): inpatients falls; risk factors and consequences for falls; falls prevention.
DOI: 10.5200/sm-hs.2015.115
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