A Retrospective Cross-sectional Study on the Risk Factors of Recurrent Falls Among Inpatients.

Abstract

Recurrent falls are more likely to cause injuries and disabilities than single falls. This study investigated the incidence and risk factors of recurrent falls among inpatients. We analyzed inpatient fall data from the anomaly event notification database and electronic medical records of a hospital. We collected data regarding 1059 inpatients who had fallen during their hospital stay. Among these inpatients, 390 (36.83%) had fallen within the previous year. Inpatients in the orthopedics and neurology wards were at a higher risk of recurrent falls than those in surgical wards; inpatients who were physically dependent were at a higher risk of recurrent falls than those who were physically independent; inpatients with poor vision were at a lower risk of recurrent falls than those without this issue; and inpatients who were using antidepressants were at a higher risk of recurrent falls than those who were not using antidepressants. The risk of recurrent falls is highly correlated with ward type, physical independence, self-perceived good vision, and use of antidepressants.