Falls are the leading cause of patient injury in hospitals, and most falls occur during the daytime. The risk of falling increases with age, and patients who are 65 years or older are at the highest risk for falls. Many factors contribute to falls, such as medications, underlying medical conditions, and environmental hazards. To prevent falls, hospitals should implement fall-prevention strategies, such as identifying high-risk patients and conducting risk assessments.
A descriptive study of inpatient falls at a 1,300-bed urban academic hospital over the course of 13 weeks. Interviews with patients and/or nurses were conducted to collect information on patient characteristics, fall circumstances, and injuries. During the fall, rates were compared to service levels and nurse staffing levels were compared. The most common causes of patient falls were accidents, followed by nursing shortages and illnesses. According to reports, patients who sustain injuries in falls and falls are charged more than $4,200 per day in hospitals. Falls in hospitals are a public health and patient safety concern. It has been unknown what factors contribute to hospital falls and how to reduce them.
The primary goals of this study were to identify and analyze patient characteristics associated with falls, the types and circumstances associated with falls, factors that contribute to falls, and staffing patterns in the hospital. In the adverse event reporting system, a fall is defined as a sudden and unexpected descent from a standing, sitting, or horizontal position. According to reports, Barnes-Jewish Hospital had a rate of three falls per 1,000 patient days in 2002. There are numerous variables available (Figure 1) in the adverse event database, as well as a description of the event. The electronic nursing charting system was used to determine health status, medications, and fall risk level information. The patient’s electronic chart or the adverse event report were used to determine fall prevention measures. SPSS for Windows (SPSS Inc., Chicago, Ill.) was used to analyze data that had been entered into a Microsoft Access database.
The Pearson *2 test was used to compare patient characteristics and circumstances of falling to categorical variables. Men were more likely than women (11/86 [13] for men and 4/97 [4%] for women) to fall more than once during the study period. Several of the patients who fell had also taken medications that could have contributed to their fall. During the study, 20% of patients received a sedative-hypnotic; nearly 35% received an anticoagulant within 24 hours of falling. The prevalence of elimination-related falls was higher among older people, with those 65 and up being at a higher risk. Among those who fell, special rooms (i.e., video surveillance, near nurses’ stations), sitters, and restraining measures were the most common. When environmental circumstances are documented in the adverse event reporting system (e.g., side-rail or call light use), or when you observe the patient’s environment, you can assess them.
The physicians and neurology department saw the most decreases. It was found that 42% of the 183 first falls resulted in some type of injury (Figure 5). The risk of a fall-related injury increased with gender, as well as when a woman falls while working at an elimination site. According to the study, patients who were confused or disoriented were less likely to be injured than those who were alert or oriented. Inpatient falls are a problem that plagues hospitals across the country. Inpatients who attempted to perform simple activities without assistance, particularly elimination-related ones, were the most likely to fall. Physical therapy may be used in hospital fall prevention programs.
Bring the patient’s walker or other device from home to the hospital when visiting them. Our study found that the elderly at high risk of accidents should be provided with special toileting schedules and interventions to make it easier to use the bathroom and bedside commode. Urinary problems and diuretics were surprisingly not linked to elimination-related falls, with those over the age of 65 being more likely to experience falls. The study discovered that reported fall rates were generally higher in these services with a higher patient-to-nurse ratio. According to the report, the rate of serious injuries caused by falls among patient populations is slightly higher than previously reported. As a result of the current illness, this could be due to increased severity of illness. The risk of fractures in the pathologic setting is higher in patients with anemia, thrombocytopenia, and other conditions.
In this study, patients who were assisted and ambulated frequently fell due to elimination. Because many patients require ambulatory devices, it may be beneficial to provide walkers and canes for bedside use after physical therapy sessions in order to reduce falls among these patients. A study comparing patients who did not fall at this hospital will determine which factors contribute to falls and how they differ. Hendrich II Fall Risk Model articles have been cited in over 100 papers, using the Hendrich II Fall Risk Model, which aims to predict which elderly patients will fall and how many times they will fall.
Inpatients typically fall three to 20 times during their stay in hospitals. Because falls are considered preventable by the Centers for Medicare, the Centers for Medicaid, healthcare facilities are held liable for the cost of treating any injuries that result from these falls.
Falls in hospital settings pose a serious risk to patient safety. Falls are the most common type of accidental injury that is associated with 2% of hospital stays3. On average, hospitals in the United States have a rate of falls ranging from 3.3 to 12.5 per 1,000 patient days.
According to the findings of the study, more than one-third of falls can be avoided. A fall prevention program is concerned with managing a patient’s underlying fall risk factors and ensuring that their physical surroundings are designed to promote optimal health.
In a fall risk assessment, you can find out if you are at a low, moderate, or high risk of falling. If your assessment reveals that you are at a higher risk of falling, your health care provider or caregiver may recommend falls prevention and injury prevention strategies.
How Often Do Patients Fall In The Hospital?
Falls, particularly among the elderly, are a common and devastating complication of hospital care. According to Epidemiologic studies, falls occur at a rate of 3% to 5% per 1000 bed days, and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality estimates that 700,000 to 1 million hospitalized patients fall each year.
1,000,000 Americans Fall In Hospitals Each Yea
A patient falling in the hospital is most likely caused by a number of factors, including changes in his or her physiological status caused by medical conditions, extended bed rest, medications, surgeries, procedures, and tests. Furthermore, the unfamiliar surroundings and the use of tubes and catheters can make it more likely for a patient to fall.
Every year, between 700,000 and 1,000,000 people in the United States are admitted to the hospital for treatment. Falls may result in fractures, lacerations, or internal bleeding, increasing health care costs. Almost one-third of all falls can be avoided by reducing their frequency.
If the patient is unconscious, not breathing, or has no pulse, call a hospital emergency number and begin cardiopulmonary therapy. Check for injuries such as cuts, scrape, bruises, and broken bones. If you were not present when the patient fell, ask the patient or someone who witnessed the fall if they can tell you what happened.
