2023 Volume 14 Issue 6 Pages 953-958
Objective: This study aimed to investigate and characterize falls of inpatients admitted to our department, focusing on spinal disorders and nocturnal falls.
Methods: Study 1: Patients who had fallen while admitted to the department between April 2019 and November 2021 were included. The number of falls, age, sex, time of occurrence, disease site, presence or absence of surgery, sleeping medication, and BMI were investigated. Study 2: A nocturnal fall group and a non-fall group of patients who were hospitalized at the same time and matched for sex and age were established, and the site of disease, medications taken, and BMI were compared between the groups.
Results: Study 1: Of the 2,372 cases, falls were observed in 71 cases (3.0%, mean age 68.6 years; 32 males and 39 females). Nocturnal falls occurred in 39.4%, 49.3% had a spinal disease, and 69.0% had postoperative falls. Study 2: Spinal disease was present in 53.6% of nocturnal fall cases. The percentage of patients taking sleeping pills was significantly higher in the nocturnal fall group (57.1%) than in the non-fall group (14.3%).
Discussion: Falls occurred in 3.0% of hospitalized patients with spinal disease, with about half of fall cases having spinal disease, and about 40% of nocturnal. Nocturnal falls were more common in spinal disease patients, and the percentage of patients taking sleeping pills was higher. A fall prevention approach based on the results of this study may be practical.
