title: [Falling in geriatrics. Diagnosis and treatment].
abstract: Falls are among the most frequent adverse events in the life of an older person. Accident and emergency units, outpatient services and internal medicine wards should have a diagnostic concept for falls and fall-related injuries and implement an evidence-based risk management for fall prevention. The recently published Reviews of the Cochrane Collaboration and the revised guidelines of the Anglo-American medical societies are a proper basis to plan these steps. This, of course, has to be adapted for the needs of each institution. Currently, it is probable that at least 30% of all falls are preventable. A structured fall history and multifactorial assessment is not part of the routine of outpatient and inpatient services in Germany. The planned revision of the German nursing guideline on fall prevention and the current activities of the Aktionsbündnis Patientensicherheit will also lead to a legal dilemma for those institutions that have not implemented an adequate workup.
authors.affiliation: Klinik für Geriatrische Rehabilitation, Robert-Bosch-Krankenhaus, Auerbachstraße 110, 70376 Stuttgart. Clemens.Becker@rbk.de
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Becker
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Rapp
mesh_terms: D000058:Accidental Falls / Q000517:prevention & control; D000061:Accidents, Home / Q000517:prevention & control; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000553:Ambulatory Care; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D016330:Frail Elderly; D015577:Geriatric Assessment / Q000379:methods*; D005858:Germany; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006801:Humans; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods; D051346:Mobility Limitation; D061214:Patient Safety; D012307:Risk Factors; D012308:Risk Management; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy*