title: Long-term morbidity and mortality related to falls in hemodialysis patients: role of age and gender - a pilot study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) on hemodialysis (HD) are prone to falls. In this pilot study, we aimed to determine the incidence of falls in a cohort of HD patients during a 1-year period, to identify any specific risk factors that may predict falls in this cohort, and to assess whether falls can independently predict hospitalization, nursing home admissions and/or mortality over an additional 2 years.
  
  
  METHODS
  Baseline assessments followed by documentation of falls prospectively during a 1-year period were done on 76 HD patients. Patients were followed for an additional 2 years and four outcomes were recorded: all-cause death, nursing home admission, the number and duration of all hospitalizations.
  
  
  RESULTS
  20 patients (26.3%) fell over a 12-month period. Elderly and females had a higher risk of falls than the younger and male population (p = 0.034 and 0.006 respectively). During the 2-year follow-up, compared to non-fallers, fallers had a 2.13-fold increase in risk of death, a 3.5-fold increase in risk of nursing home admission, and nearly a 2-fold increase in the number and duration of hospitalizations.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Falls are common in HD patients, with a higher incidence in females and elderly, and are associated with worse outcomes, more so in recurrent fallers.
authors.affiliation: Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, University of Virginia Health System, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA. ea6n @ virginia.edu
authors.forename: Emaad M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Abdel-Rahman
authors.forename: Guofen
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.forename: Faruk
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Turgut
authors.forename: Rasheed A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Balogun
mesh_terms: D000058:Accidental Falls / Q000401:mortality* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000150:complications* / Q000628:therapy; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009735:Nursing Homes / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011446:Prospective Studies; D006435:Renal Dialysis; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D013997:Time Factors