Risk factors for fall occurrence in hospitalized adult patients: a case-control study.
Isis Marques Severo, Ricardo de Souza Kuchenbecker, Débora Feijó Villas Boas Vieira and 2 others
PMID 30110094WHAT IT FOUND
Hospitalized patients who fell were more likely to be disoriented, have frequent urination, or have walking limitations.
They were also more likely to be alone without a caregiver and had taken more medications in the previous 72 hours. These factors help identify high-risk patients.
Key findings
01Disorientation, frequent urination, and walking limitation were significant independent risk factors for falls in the multivariate analysis.
02The absence of a caregiver at the time of the fall was associated with a lower odds ratio in the multivariate model, suggesting caregivers may mitigate risk or that their absence is a marker of different patient profiles.
03Patients who fell had received a median of three medications in the 72 hours prior, and the number of medications administered was an independent risk factor.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study was conducted in a single center, which may limit generalizability. Data collection relied partly on retrospective electronic health records and patient recall, introducing potential bias. Environmental risk factors were not evaluated for controls, which is a limitation of the case-control design. The definition of 'absence of caregiver' may not fully capture the quality of supervision provided.
Declared interests
The study was supported by Fundo de Incentivo à Pesquisa (FIPE), Brazil. No other conflicts of interest were declared.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that the presence of a caregiver eliminates fall risk. The study found that family members were often present but unable to intervene, and the statistical association with caregiver absence may reflect complex patient profiles rather than a simple protective effect of having someone nearby.