title: [Characterization of patient falls according to the notification in adverse event reports].
abstract: The objective of this study was to observe the characteristics of falls occurring in the inpatient population at a tertiary hospital. Eight hundred and twenty-six Adverse Events Notification Reports were analyzed over a 30 months period, and 0.30 falls per 1000 patients/day were reported. Falls from beds were the most frequent (55%), showing the highest occurrence in the neurology ward. A higher frequency of falls was observed at night time (63.7%), during the first five hospitalization days (61.7%), in male patients (57.5%) over 60 years old (50%). In cases of falls from a bed, the diagnoses were related to infectious and parasitic diseases (18.2%), diseases affecting the nervous system (18.2%) and those affecting the circulatory system (13.7%). In cases of falls from one's own height, they were related to neoplasms (19.4%) and diseases affecting the genitourinary system (16.1%). It is concluded that high importance should be placed on studying the population to characterize those at high risk for falls to assist in the implementation of preventive measures.
authors.affiliation: Faculdade de Medicina de Botucatu, Universidade Estadual Paulista Julio de Mesquita Filho, Botucatu, SP, Brasil. miriampaiva@fmb.unesp.br
authors.forename: Miriam Cristina Marques da Silva
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: de Paiva
authors.forename: Sergio Alberto Rupp
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: de Paiva
authors.forename: Heloisa Wey
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Berti
authors.forename: Alvaro Oscar
authors.initials: AO
authors.lastname: Campana
mesh_terms: D000058:Accidental Falls / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006761:Hospitals; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012308:Risk Management; D055815:Young Adult