Characteristics and consequences of falls, and risk factors for injuries due to inpatient falls for selected hospitals in Taiwan

Falls occurring in hospital inpatient areas are a major source of injury to this population. This prospective study examines data from eight acute care hospitals in Taiwan. 717 consecutive falls by inpatients in these hospitals have been analyzed. Regression analyses of these data were performed to discover potential risk factors for fall-related injuries and their severity.;The mean age for patients experiencing no injury falls was 58.9 years, while patients experiencing injury falls had a mean age of 60.3 years. The injury rate for patients experiencing falls resulting in serious injuries was 5.4%. Significant predictors for falls with injuries were found to be as follows: older patients; Internal Medicine diagnostic category; being admitted to an Internal Medicine nursing unit; being accompanied by one or more family members or friends while hospitalized; being admitted to a district hospital; being admitted to an Orthopedic nursing unit; being subject to falls in hospital locations other than the nursing unit to which admitted, and having a cancer diagnosis. Significant predictors for serious injury among patients experiencing falls were found to be as follows: patients admitted to district hospitals; patients sitting in a wheelchair; and patients with a neurological diagnostic category. Significant predictors of more severe injuries (higher severity scores) to patients experiencing falls were as follows: those admitted to district hospitals; those admitted to nursing units other than Internal Medicine; patients falling in hospital locations other than those nursing units to which they were admitted; and those patients who were accompanied by one ore more family members or friends during admission. Patients with lower severity scores were those admitted to regional hospitals and those experiencing falls from a seated position.;It is hoped that the results of this study might serve as the basis for improving patient safety for reducing falls and fall injury severity.