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26 - Fall Prevention in Hospitals

from Part II - Strategies for Prevention

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 November 2021

Stephen R. Lord
Affiliation:
Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney
Catherine Sherrington
Affiliation:
Sydney Medical School
Vasi Naganathan
Affiliation:
Concord Hospital
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Summary

Falls are one of the most frequent adverse events that occur in hospitals [1, 2]. Fall rates range from 3.4 to 11 falls per 1000 bed days in acute and rehabilitation wards [3–6]. These rates translate to significant numbers of patients falling during a hospital stay; for example, in England there were over 250,000 falls in hospitals 2015/2016 [1], and it is estimated that nearly one million patients fall in US hospitals each year [2]. For these patients, a hospital admission intended to improve health may result in serious injuries and even death.

Type
Chapter
Information
Falls in Older People
Risk Factors, Strategies for Prevention and Implications for Practice
, pp. 396 - 409
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2021

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