Renal disease and accidental falls: a review of published evidence.
BACKGROUND
The pathogenesis of falling is complex, and identification of risk factors may be essential for prevention. The relationship between renal disease and falls is unclear, and the goal of this study was to collect the available evidence and investigate the relationship between accidental falls and renal dysfunction.


METHODS
Electronic searches were performed in the MEDLINE, Scopus, Ovid SP and Web of Science databases to identify the appropriate literature. The themes used were: falls (combined in the title/abstract fall or falls or falling or faller* or fallen or slip* or trip* or (MeSH) accidental falls) and renal insufficiency (chronic or renal insufficiency or kidney diseases combined in title/abstract renal disease* or kidney disease* or renal insufficiency or kidney insufficiency or kidney failure or renal failure or MeSH renal insufficiency, chronic or renal insufficiency or kidney diseases). The incidence, risk factors, complications, and characteristics of the falls were analyzed.


RESULTS
Eight prospective cohorts including five cross-sectional studies, and one case-control study were identified. No randomized controlled studies were found. The incidence of falls in chronic kidney disease patients ranged between 1.18 and 1.60 fall/patient year. These were frequent in frail older adults on hemodialysis treatment. Falling relapses in the same group of patients caused serious consequences. Data on pre-end stage renal disease (ESRD) were scarce.


CONCLUSIONS
The risk of falling appears to be common in patients with renal dysfunction especially in older adults undergoing hemodialysis. On the other hand, we could not find any conclusive data on pre-ESRD patients.
Department of Nursing, The Maimonides Institute for Biomedical Research in Cordoba, University of Córdoba, University Hospital Reina Sofía of Córdoba, Córdoba, Spain. pablolopezsoto90@gmail.com.
Pablo Jesús
PJ
López-Soto
Clinica Medica, Department of Medical Science, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy. degiogialfredo@libero.it.|Department of Medicine, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria (AOU) of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy. degiogialfredo@libero.it.
Alfredo
A
De Giorgi
Clinica Medica, Department of Medical Science, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy. elisa.senno@student.unife.it.
Elisa
E
Senno
Department of Medicine, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria (AOU) of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy. r.tiseo@libero.it.
Ruana
R
Tiseo
U.O. Formazione e Aggiornamento, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria (AOU) of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy. a.ferraresi@ospfe.it.
Annamaria
A
Ferraresi
U.O. Formazione e Aggiornamento, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria (AOU) of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy. c.canella@ospfe.it.
Cinzia
C
Canella
Department of Nursing, The Maimonides Institute for Biomedical Research in Cordoba, University of Córdoba, University Hospital Reina Sofía of Córdoba, Córdoba, Spain. en1robom@uco.es.
María Aurora
MA
Rodríguez-Borrego
Clinica Medica, Department of Medical Science, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy. roberto.manfredini@unife.it.|Department of Medicine, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria (AOU) of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy. roberto.manfredini@unife.it.
Roberto
R
Manfredini
Clinica Medica, Department of Medical Science, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy. f.fabbian@ospfe.it.|Department of Medicine, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria (AOU) of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy. f.fabbian@ospfe.it.
Fabio
F
Fabbian
D000058:Accidental Falls / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000367:Age Factors; D006801:Humans; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012008:Recurrence; D051436:Renal Insufficiency, Chronic / Q000453:epidemiology; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors