Consequences of Inpatient Falls in Acute Care: A Retrospective Register Study
Anniina Heikkilä, Lasse Lehtonen, Kristiina Junttila
Abstract
AIMS: The objectives of this study were (1) to explore the consequences of falls; (2) to find out time and place of the fall events; and (3) to explore the impact of falls on the length of hospital stays in adults' inpatient acute care. BACKGROUND: In hospitals, falls are the most common accidents that can occur to a patient during hospitalization. Injuries resulting from serious falls can cause lifelong harm to the patient due to loss of well-being and independence. DESIGN: A retrospective, cross-sectional, register study based on the data from electronic patient records was conducted. METHODS: The data included 114,951 inpatients, of which 743 had fallen. Data was collected between January 2014 and December 2016. RESULTS: One-third of falls caused injury. Most injuries were to the head area, and the most common injuries were pain or confusion. The falls usually occurred at the beginning of the treatment in the patient's room or on the way to the toilet. Falls in the hospital increased the length of stay. CONCLUSIONS: A large proportion of falls occur at the beginning of treatment, so it is important to start fall prevention measures as soon as the patient arrives at the hospital.