A History of Falls Should Be Recorded in All Preoperative Patients

Abstract

Simple low energy falls are a leading cause of morbidity and mortality among the elderly (65 years and older) population. The number of falls is increasing in the Western world due to the increasing elderly population, which has a significant burden upon healthcare services with falls costing in excess of $30 billion annually in the US when adjusting for inflation (Stevens et al., 2006). In addition the rate of fall induced mortality is also increasing, especially among elderly men (Kannus et al., 2005). Approximately one out of five falls result in a significant injury (Alexander et al., 1992), and falls are the predominant mechanism of elderly trauma admissions requiring operative intervention (Clement et al., 2012). Postoperative falls occur more often than falls in the general population (O'Loughlin et al., 1993). Hence, it would seem that elderly patients requiring surgery to address injuries from their simple low energy fall are more likely to fall again resulting in further morbidity and increased mortality. In the face of this growing problem there is limited literature identifying patients at risk of falls, where preventative measures could be targeted to prevent further falls and the associated consequences.