title: The Timed Up and Go Test: unable to predict falls on the acute medical ward.
abstract: Prevention of falls amongst older people is a high priority in health care. The aim of this study was to evaluate the ability of the Timed Up and Go Test to predict those older people who will fall whilst admitted to an acute hospital. The medical records of 160 older patients who were admitted to the medical ward of a large regional hospital were accessed retrospectively. The Timed Up and Go Test, used in isolation, was unable to identify those patients who were likely to fall. However the co-morbidity of incontinence was identified as a falls risk factor (OR = 8.7, p = 0.001). The Timed Up and Go Test alone does not possess predictive validity for acutely unwell older patients. It is therefore recommended that it not be used to identify those people who may fall.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiotherapy, Bendigo Health Care Group, Bendigo, VIC, 3552, Australia. rlindsay@bendigohealth.org.au
authors.forename: Robyn
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lindsay
authors.forename: Erica L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: James
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kippen
mesh_terms: D000058:Accidental Falls / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000208:Acute Disease / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002183:Canes / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D009068:Movement / Q000502:physiology; D010362:Patients' Rooms / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D026741:Physical Therapy Modalities; D004856:Postural Balance / Q000502:physiology; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000379:methods; D012307:Risk Factors; D014549:Urinary Incontinence / Q000453:epidemiology; D014739:Victoria; D014853:Walkers / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016138:Walking / Q000502:physiology