Patient Falls in the Operating Room: Why Is This Still a Problem in 2024?

Abstract: Despite advances in patient safety, perioperative patient falls continue to be a persistent and preventable harm. Patient falls in procedural areas have been associated with multiple postoperative complications such as additional falls, functional decline, and hospital readmissions. Although fall-related databases exist, the specific number of periprocedural falls is difficult to ascertain, and the causes of such falls also remain elusive. We explore various solutions and recommend the creation of a national, focused database of periprocedural falls that will allow institutions to track numbers of falls in patients receiving anesthetic care and to identify the most common etiologies to enable the implementation of targeted strategies to prevent falls. Lacking this, we suggest specific screening and procedural recommendations during all phases of anesthetic care to increase providers' awareness and vigilance surrounding patient falls.