The role of medication in falls among the elderly in a long-term care facility.
This case-control study examines the relationship between falls and drug use in elderly residents of a long-term care facility. The drug use and functional status of 57 first-time fallers were compared retrospectively with those of 90 residents who had never fallen. Fallers were taking significantly more drugs than controls. Hypnotic/anxiolytics and cardiac drugs carried a twofold increase in the risk of falling. Fallers were restrained less often, were more often ambulatory, and had been at the institution for a shorter time than controls. Previous studies have failed to use control groups or have selected controls by length of stay, possibly introducing bias into the results. A large prospective study is needed to determine whether these results are generalizable to the elderly institutionalized population as a whole.
Kerman
M
M
Department of Community Medicine, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY.
Mulvihill
M
M
D000059:Accidents; D000368:Aged; D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002316:Cardiotonic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006620:Hip Fractures / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D006801:Humans; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D009735:Nursing Homes; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors
D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents; D002316:Cardiotonic Agents; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives