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Variation in Risk for Falls by Clinical Department: Implications for Prevention

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 June 2016

Judith M. Rohde ,
Ann H. Myers  and
David Vlahov
Judith M. Rohde*
Affiliation:
Department of Neuroscience Nursing, The Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, Maryland
Ann H. Myers
Affiliation:
Department of Health Policy and Management, The Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene and Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland
David Vlahov
Affiliation:
Department of Epidemiology, The Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene and Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland
*
Neuroscience Nursing Office, Meyer 3-122, The Johns Hopkins Hospital, 600 North Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD 21205
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Abstract

To examine rates of falls and injuries by clinical department, a retrospective analysis was performed of 874 inpatient falls during a one-year period in a 1,000-bed acute-care hospital. Incident reports were reviewed, and for those patients injured, medical records were abstracted. Fall rates were calculated by age, sex and service using total patient days as the denominator.

During 1983, 874 falls occurred during 282,713 adult patient days (31/104 days). Fall rates were significantly higher (odds ratio = 2.12; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.84, 2.45) in the neuroscience and psychiatry departments (53/104 days) compared with other adult services combined (25/104 days); this difference persisted after direct adjustment for age. Differences by clinical department persisted throughout four additional years of surveillance, although fall rates for the oncology service increased. Injuries following falls occurred among 200 (22.8%) patients.

These data indicate that falls are not random events, and that falls and injury prevention programs can be more appropriately focused by consideration of clinical department.

Type
Original Articles
Information
Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology , Volume 11 , Issue 10 , October 1990 , pp. 521 - 524
Copyright
Copyright © The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America 1990 

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