Citation

Sillner AY, Holle CL, Rudolph JL. Clin. Geriatr. Med. 2019; 35(2): 221-236.

Affiliation

Center of Innovation in Long-Term Services and Supports, Providence VA Medical Center (650), 830 Chalkstone Avenue, Providence, RI 02908 USA; Department of Medicine, Warren Alpert Medical School, Brown University, Box G-A1, Providence, RI 02912, USA; Center of Gerontology and Health Research, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, RI, USA. Electronic address: james.rudolph@va.gov.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.cger.2019.01.004

PMID

30929884

Abstract

Falls frequently occur in persons with cognitive impairment, including delirium. This article presents a systematic review of the association between falls and delirium in adults aged 65 years or older. For the studies that compared falls and delirium, the risk ratio was consistently elevated (median RR 4.5, range 1.4-12.6) and statistically significant in all but one study. These results suggest that falls and delirium are inextricably linked. There is a need to further refine fall risk assessment tools and protocols to specifically include delirium for consideration as a risk factor that needs additional assessment and management.

Published by Elsevier Inc.

Language: en

Keywords

Delirium; Falls; Hospital; Older adults; Systematic review