What are the consequences of falls in the aging patient?
Teaching Points: • Falls are a classic geriatric syndrome, characterized by the loss of reserve or injury along many functional and physiological dimensions resulting in a common outcome. • Older patients in the hospital are at risk to fall, causing preventable injuries, increasing length of stay, and raising a legal risk. • The risk of a fall over the last year among people over the age of 65 is 30-40%, and 20% of these will require medical attention, primarily fractures. • One of the largest risk factors for injuries from falls is restraint use in the hospital, even though restraints are often placed to prevent wandering and “prevent falls.” • Patients with osteoporosis, which is much more common in older patients, are especially likely to be injured by a fall. II. Clinical Question: What is the relationship between restraint use and falls in the older hospitalized patient? Teaching Points: • Elderly patients in the hospital are at high risk to fall and be injured from a fall, especi
