Falls in hospital: a special form for monitoring the phenomenon

Purpose of the study 1. Analyze the most important risk factors for accidentals falls in hospitalized patients. 2. Verify the approach applied to prevent falls. Methods An observational study has been conducted (1.1.2014 – 30.4.2018) in 2 different hospitals in Veneto Region. Falls prevention and management in those hospitalsfollow NICE guidelines, with a multidisciplinary and multifactorial approach. Accidental falls of hospitalized patients have been reportedthrough a specific tool that collects information about the patient, hospitalization, risk factors for fall, applied prevention strategies, consequences of the fall and treatments. ODDS Ratios (95%) coefficients, multivariateanalysis and logistic regression were performed. Results A total of 607 falls have been reported (2014: 77; 2017: 182; + 136,6%);76,9% of patients were over 65 years of age; 92% of falls occurred during ordinary hospitalization; 64,7% falls occurred in patients considered being at risk for falls. Multivariate analysis highlights that patients with a history of accidental falls and gait instability have a greater risk of fall with injury compared with patients without those risk factors (OR=5,61, 95% CI (1,06-29,8); patients with gait instability have a minor risk of fall with injury compared to patients without previous history of fall and gait instability (OR=0,46, 95% CI (0,25-0,84). Conclusions The results of the study show an increased sensibility of healthcare workers in reporting falls. The risk for fall with injury is higher in patients with a previous history of fall and gait instability: this confirms the results of other published studies. Those risk factors must be carefully considered by healthcare workers in order to identify the most effective prevention strategy,the lack of which can have health and legal consequences; for these reasons it is extremely important to sensitize and train healthcare workers.