Characteristics of falls with damage to hospitalized patientsOBJECTIVE Describe the characteristics of falls in patients with damage, their risk factors and injuries.
METHOD Retrospective and longitudinal study of 260 records of falls with damage of adult patients in clinical and surgical units of a general hospital, from September 2012 to June 2017. Data were collected in May 2018 from the electronic fall and electronic record research instrument, and the statistical analysis was described.
RESULTS There were 260 falls with damage, mostly in the elderly (78%), female (55%), in clinical treatment (68%) and unaccompanied (59.4%). The falls occurred at the same height (63.4%) and in the patient's room (67.3%). The severity of the damage was mild in 80.8% of cases, severe in 11.9% and moderate in 7.3%.
CONCLUSION Improving understanding of falls and their consequences can assist professionals in identifying and assessing risks and in establishing preventive measures.
Keywords:
Accidental falls; Inpatients; Patient safety; Patient harm