title: Domestic accidents and multiple sclerosis: an exploratory study of occurrence and possible causes.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Domestic accidents are widespread, but no data are available on their occurrence in pathological populations such as patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). Aim was to investigate domestic habits and occurrence of different types of domestic accidents and near falls in a sample of MS patients compared with healthy controls and to determine whether patients' domestic accidents are linked to any disease characteristics.
  
  
  METHODS
  Descriptive survey of 50 patients and 50 healthy controls. Participants were administered an ad-hoc questionnaire to collect data on domestic habits and accidents they had in the past 2 months. Their physical and neuropsychological functioning, mood and fatigue were also assessed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Results showed that patients spend most of their time at home with caregivers. No differences emerged for total number of domestic accident types, but there were differences in bumps and near falls. The latter seem to be linked to patients' walking ability and to bowel/bladder functioning and the former to reasoning ability and fatigue.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study provides the first data on the occurrence of domestic accidents and possible causes in MS patients. It encourages further studies on the topic, with the final goal of designing preventive and rehabilitation strategies.
authors.affiliation: Neurology and Neurorehabilitation Unit, I.R.C.C.S. "Santa Lucia" Foundation , Rome , Italy .
authors.forename: Ornella
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Argento
authors.forename: Chiara Concetta
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Incerti
authors.forename: Valerio
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Pisani
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Magistrale
authors.forename: Giancarlo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Di Battista
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Romano
authors.forename: Elisabetta
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ferraro
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Caltagirone
authors.forename: Ugo
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Nocentini
mesh_terms: D000061:Accidents, Home / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Accidents; falls; fatigue; multiple sclerosis