Assessment of Falls among the Elderly in the Emergency Department of the Idrissa Pouye General Hospital in Dakar, Senegal: A Cohort of 100 Cases

Abstract

Background: Falls in the elderly are a global public health problem with serious medical and socio-economic consequences, especially in low and middle-income countries. The aim of this study was to describe the characteristics of falls among the elderly in trauma units in Senegal. Materials and Methods: This was a descriptive, prospective study from April 20, 2022 to October 30, 2022 among people aged at least 60 and admitted to the surgical emergency department of Idrissa Pouye Hospital in Dakar following a fall. Socio-demographic, clinical, therapeutic and evolutionary characteristics were collected and analyzed using Sphinx Plus 2 and Excel 2019 for Windows software. Results: Out of 730 elderly people seen during this period, 100 met the criteria, representing a prevalence of 13.69%. The average consultation time was 3.25 +/− 4 days. The average age was 73 +/− 8.43 years, with women predominating (74%). Medical expenses were mainly covered by the family (73%). Most falls occurred during the day (68%), at home (82%), especially in the bedroom (30%), with stumbling (32%) as the main mechanism. The majority of patients (86%) spent less than 30 minutes on the floor. Predisposing factors were dominated by visual disorders (56%) and precipitating factors were mainly environmental (62%). Geriatric syndromes were dominated by frailty (22%). Complications were dominated by fractures (86%), and almost half (47%) had lost their autonomy for post-fall Activities Daily Living (ADL). Prescription medication was almost systematic (98%), dominated by analgesics (98%). Surgery was indicated in 58% of patients. The average waiting time for surgery was 25.36 +/− 19 days. A death rate of 1% was recorded in the emergency department. Conclusion: Falls in the elderly are a