Fall risk factors in elderly patients with cognitive impairment on rehabilitation wards

来自 EBSCO

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作者：

M Vassallo，SK Mallela，A Williams，J Kwan，S Allen，JC Sharma

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摘要：

Background: Confusion and cognitive impairment, are risk factors for falls in hospital. Evidence for reducing falls in cognitively-impaired patients is limited and to date no intervention has consistently been shown to reduce falls in this group of patients. We explored characteristics associated with falls in cognitively-impaired patients in a rehabilitation setting. Methods: In a prospective observational study, 825 consecutive patients were studied. Patient characteristics were assessed on admission. Factors predisposing to falls in cognitively-impaired patients were identified. Results: Cognitively-impaired patients were more likely to be fallers or recurrent fallers and more likely to sustain an injury than cognitively intact patients. They had a higher incidence of nursing home discharges and a significantly higher mortality. Logistic regression analysis showed that an unsafe gait ( P < 0.001; 95% confidence interval, 0.130.57) was the only independent risk factor for falls in this group of patients. There was a cumulative higher risk of falling associated with an unsafe gait demonstrable throughout the patients' stay. Conclusion: Unsafe gait was the only significant independent risk factor for falls among cognitively-impaired patients in a rehabilitation environment. Interventions that improve gait patterns or that enhance safety for patients with abnormal gait are required if fall reduction in this group of patients is to be achieved.

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关键词：

confusion dementia elderly falls hospital

DOI：

10.1111/j.1447-0594.2008.00506.x

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年份：

2010