The incidence of falls in intensive care survivors
Background: Falling among adults in acute care is an important problem with falls rates in tertiary hospitals ranging from 2% to 5%. Factors that increase the risk of falling, such as advanced age, altered mental status, medications that act on the central nervous system and poor mobility, often cha...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Journal Article |
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Elsevier Inc
2011
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| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/33560 |
| _version_ | 1848753980564307968 |
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| author | Patman, S. Dennis, D. Hill, Kylie |
| author_facet | Patman, S. Dennis, D. Hill, Kylie |
| author_sort | Patman, S. |
| building | Curtin Institutional Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| description | Background: Falling among adults in acute care is an important problem with falls rates in tertiary hospitals ranging from 2% to 5%. Factors that increase the risk of falling, such as advanced age, altered mental status, medications that act on the central nervous system and poor mobility, often characterise individuals who survive a prolonged intensive care unit (ICU) admission. Purpose: To measure the incidence of falls and describe the characteristics of fallers among intensive care survivors. Methods: A comprehensive retrospective chart review was undertaken of 190 adults who were intubated and ventilated for ≥168 h and survived their acute care stay. Using a standardised form, several variables were extracted including falls during hospitalisation and risk factors such as age, severity of illness, and length of stay in intensive care and hospital. Findings: Thirty-two (17%, 95% confidence interval 11.5–22.2%) patients fell at least once on the in-patient wards following their ICU stay. Compared with non-fallers, fallers were younger (53.2 ± 17.9 vs. 44.1 ± 18.3 years; p = 0.009) and had a shorter duration of inotropic support in ICU (84 ± 112 vs. 56 ± 100 h; p = 0.040). The majority of fallers were aged less than 65 years (84%). Both fallers and non-fallers had similar APACHE II scores (20 ± 8 vs. 21 ± 7; p = 0.673), length of stay in intensive care (14.2 ± 8.7 vs. 14.0 ± 9.7 days; p = 0.667) and hospital length of stay (43.9 ± 33.1 vs. 41.0 ± 38.8 days; p = 0.533). Conclusion: Falling during hospitalisation is common in intensive care survivors. Compared with non-fallers, fallers were younger and required inotropes for a shorter duration. Those who survive a prolonged admission to an ICU may benefit from specific assessment of balance and falls risk by the multidisciplinary team. |
| first_indexed | 2025-11-14T08:33:08Z |
| format | Journal Article |
| id | curtin-20.500.11937-33560 |
| institution | Curtin University Malaysia |
| institution_category | Local University |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-14T08:33:08Z |
| publishDate | 2011 |
| publisher | Elsevier Inc |
| recordtype | eprints |
| repository_type | Digital Repository |
| spelling | curtin-20.500.11937-335602017-09-13T16:08:46Z The incidence of falls in intensive care survivors Patman, S. Dennis, D. Hill, Kylie Background: Falling among adults in acute care is an important problem with falls rates in tertiary hospitals ranging from 2% to 5%. Factors that increase the risk of falling, such as advanced age, altered mental status, medications that act on the central nervous system and poor mobility, often characterise individuals who survive a prolonged intensive care unit (ICU) admission. Purpose: To measure the incidence of falls and describe the characteristics of fallers among intensive care survivors. Methods: A comprehensive retrospective chart review was undertaken of 190 adults who were intubated and ventilated for ≥168 h and survived their acute care stay. Using a standardised form, several variables were extracted including falls during hospitalisation and risk factors such as age, severity of illness, and length of stay in intensive care and hospital. Findings: Thirty-two (17%, 95% confidence interval 11.5–22.2%) patients fell at least once on the in-patient wards following their ICU stay. Compared with non-fallers, fallers were younger (53.2 ± 17.9 vs. 44.1 ± 18.3 years; p = 0.009) and had a shorter duration of inotropic support in ICU (84 ± 112 vs. 56 ± 100 h; p = 0.040). The majority of fallers were aged less than 65 years (84%). Both fallers and non-fallers had similar APACHE II scores (20 ± 8 vs. 21 ± 7; p = 0.673), length of stay in intensive care (14.2 ± 8.7 vs. 14.0 ± 9.7 days; p = 0.667) and hospital length of stay (43.9 ± 33.1 vs. 41.0 ± 38.8 days; p = 0.533). Conclusion: Falling during hospitalisation is common in intensive care survivors. Compared with non-fallers, fallers were younger and required inotropes for a shorter duration. Those who survive a prolonged admission to an ICU may benefit from specific assessment of balance and falls risk by the multidisciplinary team. 2011 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/33560 10.1016/j.aucc.2011.06.001 Elsevier Inc restricted |
| spellingShingle | Patman, S. Dennis, D. Hill, Kylie The incidence of falls in intensive care survivors |
| title | The incidence of falls in intensive care survivors |
| title_full | The incidence of falls in intensive care survivors |
| title_fullStr | The incidence of falls in intensive care survivors |
| title_full_unstemmed | The incidence of falls in intensive care survivors |
| title_short | The incidence of falls in intensive care survivors |
| title_sort | incidence of falls in intensive care survivors |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/33560 |