TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2011//
TI  - Underevaluation of cardiovascular risk factors in patients with nonaccidental falls
JO  - Journal of primary care and community health
A1  - Daccarett, Marcos
A1  - Brignole, Michele
A1  - Malasana, Gangadhar R.
A1  - Sherwood, Randall P.
A1  - Jetter, Tawni L.
A1  - Hamdan, Mohamed H.
SP  - 173
EP  - 180
VL  - 2
IS  - 3
N2  - BACKGROUND: The incidence of adult patients with falls seeking medical assistance in the Salt Lake City area, Utah, is 28,000 per million adult inhabitants. OBJECTIVE: We sought to evaluate the prevalence of cardiovascular risk assessment and cardiovascular abnormalities in patients presenting with nonaccidental falls at the University of Utah hospital and its affiliated clinics. METHODS: We conducted a search of all patients in the University of Utah patient database as well as 9 affiliated primary care and family practice clinics in Utah who were evaluated for a "fall" during October 2009. We analyzed the records of 338 patients who had a fall within the previous 3 months. Nonaccidental falls were defined as falls unrelated to a contact incident or "slip or trip." RESULTS: Nonaccidental falls occurred in 81 (24%) patients, 39 of these being ≥65 years old. Cardiovascular risk assessment and specifically orthostatic testing were evaluated in 40% and 3% of the patients, respectively. In patients ≥65 years old, the prevalence of cardiovascular risk assessment, orthostatic testing, and carotid sinus massage were equally low at 56%, 5%, and 0%, respectively. Cardiovascular abnormalities were present in 17 (21%) patients, with 9 of them being referred for cardiac evaluation. CONCLUSION: Our results highlight the inconsistent assessment of potential cardiovascular risk factors in patients with nonaccidental falls, supporting the adoption of a standardized approach in these patients.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 2150-1319
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/2150131911405212
ID  - ref1
ER  -