Citation

Kim MS, Jung HM, Lee HY, Kim J. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021; 18(3): e1239.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2021, MDPI: Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute)

DOI

10.3390/ijerph18031239

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to identify the risk factors of serious fall-related injuries by analyzing the differences between two fall groups: one with serious fall-related injuries and one without such injuries. Applying a retrospective, descriptive investigation study design, we analyzed the degree of fall-related injury and the risk factors related to serious falls by conducting a complete survey of the medical records of fall patients reported throughout one full year, 2017, at a tertiary hospital in Seoul, Korea. Among the patients with reported falls, 188 sustained no injury (63.1%), 72 sustained minor injury (24.2%), and 38 patients sustained serious injury (12.8%). The serious fall-related injuries included eight lacerations requiring suture (2.7%), 23 fractures (7.7%), five brain injuries (1.7%), and two deaths (0.7%). Analysis results indicated that taking anticoagulants/antiplatelet drugs (p = 0.016) and having a fall history (p = 0.038) were statistically significant in the differences between the group with serious injury related to falls and the group without serious injury. Logistic regression revealed that taking anticoagulant/antiplatelet drugs was the factor most significantly correlated with serious injuries related to falls (OR = 2.299, p = 0.022).

RESULTS show that it is necessary to develop a patient-tailored fall prevention activity program.

Language: en

Keywords

falls; risk assessment; serious injury; length of stay; inpatients