title: Analysis of patient falls among hospitalised patients in Makkah region.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the frequency and its correlation of patient fall with preventing or precipitating factors among inpatients.
  
  
  METHODS
  The observational study was conducted in Makkah Region, Saudi Arabia from October 15 2012 to November 4, 2013. Data was collected using a questionnaire from 16 hospitals in four districts of Makkah province. The material was sampled through systematic randomisation from inpatient files and data was collected for those who had fallen inside the hospital. The questionnaire, validated through a pilot study run under the Directorate of Quality and Patient Safety in Makkah, was used to see whether the hospitals had adopted and applied international standards for assessment of adult and paediatric patients for falls as well as effectiveness of these applications.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 4,799 beds, occupancy rates ranged from 1680(35%) to 4,799(100%). Out of 291 falls in all, 144(49.48%) were in Jeddah. Besides, 116(40%) of the falls occurred in the last quarter of the Islamic calendar. Statistically significant difference was found in fall episodes in different months (p=0.007). Statistical analysis indicated that the factors that significantly raised the number of patient falls were increase in hospital beds and their occupancy rate (Spearman's correlation: 0.621 and 0.579 respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The frequency of falls varied from hospital to hospital and factors like higher number of bed capacity and occupancy rate increased the falls.
authors.affiliation: General Director: Quality and Patient Safety Department. General Directorate of Makkah Region Health Affairs.
authors.forename: Mohammed Abdulwahab
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Flimban
authors.affiliation: Patient Safety Supervisor, Quality and Patient Safety Administration in General Directorate of Makkah Region Health Affairs, Makkah Al-Mukkaramah.
authors.forename: Dalal Fouad
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: Abduljabar
authors.affiliation: Consultant General Surgeon Al-Noor Specialist Hospital Makkah Al-Mukkaramah.
authors.forename: Khalid Obaid
authors.initials: KO
authors.lastname: Dhafar
authors.affiliation: Nursing Department Makkah Region General Directorate of Healthcare Affair Makkah Region-Nursing Department, Makkah Al-Mukkaramah.
authors.forename: Basma Abdulhameed
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Deiab
authors.affiliation: Assistant Professor of Medicine /Consultant Medicine (Diabetes) Rabigh Medical College King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah.
authors.forename: Zohair Jamil
authors.initials: ZJ
authors.lastname: Gazzaz
authors.affiliation: Nursing Department, King Abdul Aziz Specialist Hospital / Taif, Directorate of Healthcare Affair Taif, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Abasra Usman
authors.initials: AU
authors.lastname: Bansuan
authors.affiliation: General Directorate of Healthcare Affair Makkah Region-Quality and Patient Safety Department, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Abeer Ahmad
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Balbed
authors.affiliation: Nursing Department Al-Qunfotha Hospital Directorate of Healthcare Affair Al-Qunfotha, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Ahmad Mohammed
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Al-Shaikhi
authors.affiliation: Nursing Department Al-Qunfotha Hospital Directorate of Healthcare Affair Al-Qunfotha,Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Sultan Saad
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Al-Motari
authors.affiliation: Clinical Skills, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine at Rabigh, King Abdul Aziz University, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Muhammad Imran
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Suliman
mesh_terms: D000056:Accident Prevention; D000058:Accidental Falls / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D001509:Bed Occupancy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006276:Health Facility Size / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006760:Hospitalization; D006761:Hospitals / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D061214:Patient Safety; D010559:Personnel Management / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012529:Saudi Arabia; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Patient falls, Hospitals, Injury, Patient safety, Falls.