Risk factors associated with hospitalization for unintentional falls: Wisconsin hospital discharge data for patients aged 65 and over.
OBJECTIVE
To identify risk factors associated with hospitalizations for falls in Wisconsin in patients aged 65 and older.


METHODS
This study was a cross-sectional study of year 2000 hospital inpatient discharge records for patients aged 65 and older who did not have a diagnosis-related group code indicating rehabilitation, obtained from the Wisconsin Bureau of Health Information. The database includes all discharges from all non-federal Wisconsin hospitals.


RESULTS
Of 223,085 discharged older adults, 6.9% had an unintentional fall diagnosis. Independent predictors of an unintentional fall diagnosis were age, sex, time of year of discharge, region of residence, alcohol-related problems, dementia, Parkinson's disease, mechanical and motor problems, altered consciousness, convulsions/epilepsy, anemia, and glaucoma.


CONCLUSIONS
Alcohol-related problems and mechanical and motor problems significantly increased the risk of a fall diagnosis in hospitalized patients aged 65 and over.
Guse
Clare E
CE
Department of Family and Community Medicine and Injury Research Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wis 53226, USA. cguse@mcw.edu
Porinsky
Rebecca
R
D000058:Accidental Falls / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D010351:Patient Discharge / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012307:Risk Factors; D014922:Wisconsin