Risk factors for falls and their impact on the severity of fall‐related injuries

Abstract

Background: The aim of this work was to investigate risk factors for falls in a cohort of Austrian inpatients and assess the influence of fall risk factors on fall‐related injuries. Methods: All fall protocols of an Austrian internal medicine department were evaluated over a 20‐month period. Results: A total of 195 patients with a documented fall, and 195 age and sex‐matched controls from the same unit were included in this study. Chronic heart failure, dementia and intake of more than one diuretic drug were associated with falls. Most falls occurred in the patient room and at night. Out of 195 falls, 79 (41%) were injurious with a moderate or severe post‐fall injury in 6.7% of patients. None of the fall risk factors was associated with the severity of fall‐related injury. Conclusions: This study confirms chronic heart failure, dementia, and intake of more than one diuretic drug as risk factors for falls in an Austrian internal medicine department. The grade of fall‐related injuries was not related to the investigated fall‐risk‐factors.