title: Characteristics of the middle-age adult inpatient fall.
abstract: The purpose of this study is to describe characteristics of middle-age inpatients' (ages 45-64) fallers and their fall and fall injury risk factors.
  
  
  
  Middle-age falls were 42-46% of inpatient falls. Studies related to inpatient falls have not targeted this population.
  
  
  
  A 439 retrospective chart review was performed. Middle-age fall and injury rates were compared with ages 21-44 and 65-90.
  
  
  
  The mean age was 55.75years (SD 5.26). 28.7% (n=126) of falls resulted in injury. Individual fallers (n=386) had a mean of four comorbidities (SD 1.843), including hypertension (46.5%), anxiety/depression (40.2%), and alcohol and drug abuse (32.9%). There was no significant difference (p=.637) in fall rates per 1,000 patient days between ages 45-64 and 65-90.
  
  
  
  Middle-age inpatients' acute illness makes them as vulnerable for fall and injury as the older population. They should not be overlooked for fall prevention measures.
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Nursing, University of Massachusetts, 55 Lake Ave North, Worcester, MA, 01655, USA. Electronic address: Donnaguillaume@ymail.com.
authors.forename: Donna
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Guillaume
authors.affiliation: Division of Preventive and Behavioral Medicine, Department of Medicine, and Graduate School of Nursing, University of Massachusetts, 55 Lake Ave North, Worcester, MA, 01655, USA.
authors.forename: Sybil
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Crawford
authors.affiliation: VISN 8 Patient Safety Center of Inquiry, James A. Haley VAMC, Tampa, FL, 33637-1022, USA.
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Quigley
mesh_terms: D000058:Accidental Falls; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007297:Inpatients; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
keywords: Comorbidities; Falls; Inpatient; Middle-age; Risk factors