title: A profile of elderly fallers referred for physiotherapy in the emergency department of a Dublin teaching hospital.
abstract: Ireland has an ageing population and the elderly are over-represented in Emergency Departments (ED)--a quarter of these presentations resulting from falls. A prospective study design was employed using a convenience sample to profile elderly fallers referred for physiotherapy in ED. Forty-subjects were assessed over 14 weeks. Mean age was 84.88 years (s.d. 7.3) and 31 (77.5%) were female. All demonstrated slow walking speed and 26 (65%) demonstrated poor grip strength. A quarter of subjects reported fear of falling and 30 (75%) were classified as frail. Elderly fallers in ED are a frail group of socially vulnerable patients who demonstrate a risk of further falls. Osteoporosis had been diagnosed in 9 (22.5%) subjects--a low prevalence compared with international research, but 25 (62.5%) subjects had never had a DEXA scan. The prevalence of frailty in the sample of elderly fallers in this study was very high (75%).
authors.affiliation: St Vincent's University Hospital, Elm Park, Dublin 4. fionacrehan@hotmail.com
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Crehan
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: O'Shea
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Ryan
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Horgan
mesh_terms: D000058:Accidental Falls; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D005239:Fear; D005260:Female; D016330:Frail Elderly; D018737:Hand Strength; D006784:Hospitals, Teaching; D006801:Humans; D007494:Ireland; D008297:Male; D012307:Risk Factors; D012656:Self-Help Devices; D016138:Walking / Q000502:physiology*