[Falls in hospitalized elderly people: characterization and incumbency of polypharmacy and inappropriate prescription of medications].

Abstract

Introduction: Falls in the elderly are a frequent phenomenon during hospitalization and are preventable adverse events. Falls could cause serious injuries in this vulnerable patient population and also lead to poor health outcomes such as increased morbidity, mortality and healthcare costs. The objective of this study is to characterize falls in hospitalized elderly people and analyze the implication of polypharmacy and inappropriate prescription of medications in a University Hospital in Argentina.

Materials and methods: Descriptive, observational, retrospective study.

Results: A sampling 226 patients was taken, the mean age was 74.7 SD: 12.9, range 69-91. The total number of falls was 237 (9 patients suffered more than one fall). Falls are associated with several factors including polypharmacy, cognitive status, advanced age, female sex, and inappropriate prescription of medications.

Discussion: Incidents of falls are frequent, preventable and multi-causal. Some factors such as polypharmacy, cognitive impairment, among others, would be associated with its occurrence; the published literature confirms these concepts.