title: Risk assessment of patient falls while taking medications ordered in a teaching hospital.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  to stratify prescribed medication in a fall risk scale, identifying subgroups of drugs and inpatient units with higher risk of falls.
  
  
  METHODS
  retrospective study on prescription order forms given by medical clinic, surgical clinic, and general intensive care unit. Risk factors under consideration: 1) orthostatic hypotension; 2) arterial hypotension; 3) arterial hypertension; 4) bradycardia; 5) psychomotor agitation; 6) mental confusion; 7) dizziness; 8) drowsiness/sedation; 9) reduced eyesight; 10) seizures; 11) atonia/dystonia/muscle weakness; 12) hypoglycemia; 13) urgent urination and 14) urgent defecation/diarrhea. Risk levels adopted: 0: 0 factor; I: 1-2 factors; II: 3-5 factors; III: 6-9 factors; IV: 10-14 factors.
  
  
  RESULTS
  3893 drugs were analyzed and stratified in levels: 0 22.7%; I 33.5%; II 28%; III 15.1%; IV 0.7%. Levels III and IV more often refer to drugs for stomach acid disorders, 22.6%, and psycholeptics, 100%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  knowing the risk factors associated with medication may help prevent and reduce falls, especially when therapeutic regimens cannot be modified.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Curso de Farmácia, Universidade Estadual de Ponta Grossa, Ponta Grossa, PR, Brasil.
authors.forename: Carolina Justus Buhrer
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Ferreira Neto
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Curso de Farmácia, Universidade Estadual de Ponta Grossa, Ponta Grossa, PR, Brasil.
authors.forename: Andressa Schaia
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Rocha
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Curso de Farmácia, Universidade Estadual de Ponta Grossa, Ponta Grossa, PR, Brasil.
authors.forename: Larissa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Schmidt
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Curso de Farmácia, Universidade Estadual de Ponta Grossa, Ponta Grossa, PR, Brasil.
authors.forename: Fernanda Pailo
authors.initials: FP
authors.lastname: de Almeida
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Curso de Farmácia, Universidade Estadual de Ponta Grossa, Ponta Grossa, PR, Brasil.
authors.forename: Jhenifer Carvalho
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Dutra
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Enfermagem e Saúde Pública, Curso de Enfermagem, Universidade Estadual de Ponta Grossa, Ponta Grossa, PR, Brasil.
authors.forename: Maria Dagmar
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: da Rocha
mesh_terms: D000058:Accidental Falls / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011307:Drug Prescriptions / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006784:Hospitals, Teaching; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors