ED patient falls and resulting injuries.
BACKGROUND
Patient falls are the most common adverse events reported in hospitals. There is a growing body of literature on inpatient falls but a lack of data on ED falls. We applied the Hendrich II Fall Risk Model to patients who fell during their ED stays and provided a description of the patients and their injuries.


METHODS
We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of all patients who fell in the emergency department during a 2-year period. We collected the 8 assessment parameters for high-risk fall identification in the Hendrich II Fall Risk Model. We also collected subject characteristics, circumstances surrounding the falls, fall-related injuries, and ED disposition.


RESULTS
Fifty-seven falls were recorded, representing a rate of 0.288 falls per 1000 patient visits. The average age was 50 years, and a median of 48. 67% were men. Twenty-one subjects had a Hendrich II Model score of 5 of greater, which represents a sensitivity of 37.5%. Eleven subjects (19.6%) were intoxicated with alcohol. Eleven subjects (19.6%) received a potentially sedating medication prior to the fall. Thirty-six subjects (64.3%) fell in their ED rooms. Six subjects (10.7%) fell in the restroom. Three falls (5.4%) resulted in lacerations and 2 falls (3.6%) resulted in hematomas.


CONCLUSIONS
The Hendrich II Fall Risk Model may not reliably identify patients at high risk of falling in the ED setting. It may be necessary to develop an emergency department-specific fall model considering additional factors, such as intoxication and receipt of potentially sedating medications.
Terrell
Kevin M
KM
Emergency Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA. kterrel@iupui.edu
Weaver
Christopher S
CS
Giles
Beverly K
BK
Ross
Mary J
MJ
D000058:Accidental Falls / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D005260:Female; D006748:Hospital Departments; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007297:Inpatients / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015233:Models, Statistical; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012308:Risk Management; D017678:Sex Distribution; D014481:United States; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology