Falls in hospital settings: a longitudinal study

Abstract

This study aims to assess the prevalence of falls, understand their consequences, identify causes and analyze intervention strategies to prevent them. This is a descriptive longitudinal study, from 2007 to 2009, in which nurses recorded patients' falls in a medicine ward, using a scale developed for this end. Most falls occurred with partially dependent patients, with a mean age ranging from 64 to 74 years. The bedroom was, in all of these years, the place where most of these falls occurred. Although most falls did not have consequences, they were observed in 36% of the cases. The number of falls increased throughout the years of the study. There was also a difference in the percentage of occurrences in the afternoon and night shifts (39% in 2007, 57% in 2008 and 64% in 2009 Caídas en el medio hospitalario: un estudio longitudinalEste estudio intenta evaluar la prevalencia de las caídas, conocer sus consecuencias, identificar causas y estudiar estrategias de intervención para prevenirlas. Es un estudio descriptivo longitudinal, realizado entre 2007 y 2009, donde los enfermeros registraron las caídas de enfermos en un servicio de medicina, de acuerdo con una escala elaborada para este propósito. La mayoría de las caídas ocurrió en enfermos parcialmente dependientes, cuyas edades variaban entre 64 y 74 años. La habitación fue, en todos los años, donde mayoritariamente estas ocurrieron. Aunque la mayoría de las caídas no hayan tenido consecuencias, se registraron en 36% de los casos.Este número aumentó a lo largo de los años del estudio. Se rebeló, igualmente, una diferencia en la proporcionalidad del número de registros para los turnos de la tarde/ noche (39%, 2007, 57%, 2008 y 64%, 2009). Se analiza la identificación de las barreras a la referencia y como rebasar estas barreras.

A segurança do paciente nos caminhos percorridos pela enfermagem brasileira

“…However, this fact is still insufficiently addressed in documents and studies. On the other hand, the introduction of preventive measures to increase PS requires deep knowledge of this issue in each particular context and mobilization of all associated factors for a healthcare quality culture (20) . In this scenario, ensuring safe healthcare is directly related to a multifaceted context involving several care processes, of different degrees of complexity and requiring different resources.…”

Nursing care mapping for patients at risk of falls in the Nursing Interventions Classification

“…These care actions are important in preventing falls among hospitalized patients, especially the elderly and patients with physical or cognitive limitations (3) .…”

Conceptual definitions of indicators for the nursing outcome "Knowledge: Fall Prevention"

“…The injuries resulting from falls include excoriations, hematomas, bruises, femoral, hip fractures, and skull trauma. Therefore, worsening of the patient's clinical condition, chronic pain, limitations and physical incapacities, increase in length of stay, hospital costs, and ethical and legal implications for the institution may occur (1,(5)(6) . Given this scenario, the role of nursing in the prevention of these events is fundamental to prevent or reduce damages through effective interventions, and the nursing process (NP) is a way of guiding clinical practice.…”