Objective: The current study aims to perform a retrospective analysis of fall events in a tertiarycare hospital and identify the related risk factors.
Material and Methods:The research was conducted in 1160-bed-capacity tertiary-care hospital located in Ankara from June 2016-June 2017. The sample comprised 241 patient falls among 1009 fall events in the facility between 2006-2016. Data were retrospectively collected with patient preassessment forms, daily nursing documentation forms, and daily medication order protocols. Mean-standard deviation for continuous variables, frequency distribution for categorical variables, and the chi-square analysis for the correlation between two categorical variables are used.Results: Of patients with files investigated, 42.7% were aged from 18-65 years, and 59.3% were male, 74.1% had a chronic disease, 40.3% could complete daily-life activities independently, and 32% were using medication which increased fall risk. Fall events 29.5% occurred in the pediatric clinics, 29.5% in surgery, and 28.2% in internal medicine clinics, 35.2% occurred during the night shift, and 33% occurred within the first three days of admission. Additionally, 35.7% of the fall events happened due to not taking appropriate safety precautions, 20.2% not using the nurse call buttons, 64.7% were in the patient's room, and syncope (32.6%).
Conclusion:It was revealed that the riskiest interval for patient falls is the first three days of admission and the night shift. While evaluating fall risk, sociodemographic, medical, environmental, and fall-related independent variables should be considered together. It is recommended that fall risk assessment tools be revised by reviewing patients' specific care needs and clinical conditions.