title: [Retrospective survey on falls among hospitalized patients].
abstract: Patients' falls are a frequent event, especially for hospitalised patients, with a substantial impact on their health and healthcare costs. In the Careggi Hospital (Florence) the reports of patients' falls were analysed to provide real-life based information on the problem and to explore the possibility of preventive planning. During the year 2000, 359 patients (0.44% of all admitted patients) suffered an event of fall. Medical wards and wards with stroke patients show the higher incidence of falls (0.71% and 0.66% of all admitted patients respectively). The larger majority of patients who fall (68.2%) were over 65 years and almost half (46.7%) of the falls occurred during the night shift. Up to 79% of patients reported some consequences but only 3.6% of them reported major consequences requiring a prognosis > 10 days. The preventive strategies adopted are described.
authors.affiliation: Capo sala Ospedale Careggi di Firenze.
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Brandi
authors.forename: Lucia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Brasiliani
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Belli
authors.forename: Amalia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ferrara
authors.forename: Lucia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Macconi
authors.forename: Rossana
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Marilli
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Moggi
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pratellesi
mesh_terms: D000058:Accidental Falls / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies