Increase in fall-related hospitalization, mortality, and lethality among older adults in Brazil

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the trends of fall-related hospitalization, mortality, and lethality among older adults in Brazil and regions. METHODS: This is a descriptive study based on data from the Hospital Information System of the Brazilian Unified Health System. We included records of every older adult, aged 60 years or older, hospitalized for accidental fall from January, 1998 to November, 2015 in all Brazilian regions. We selected the codes E885, E886, E880, E884, E884 from the International Classification of Diseases, 9th revision, and W01, W03, W10, W17, W18 from the 10th revision, and calculated fall-related hospitalization and mortality rates per 100,000 inhabitants, as well as lethality. To estimate trends, we applied the Prais-Winsten regression for time series analysis. RESULTS: During the period, 1,192,829 fall-related hospitalizations occurred, among which 54,673 had a fatal outcome; lethality was 4.5%. Hospitalization rates showed upward trends, with seasonality, in Brazil (11%), and in the Northeast (44%), Midwest (13%), and South regions (14%). The North showed a decreasing hospitalization rate (48%), and the Southeast a stationary one (3%). CONCLUSIONS: In Brazil, fall-related hospitalizations, mortality, and lethality among older adults showed an upward trend from 1998 to 2015, with seasonal peaks in the second and third quarters. Considering we are in plain demographic transition, to improve hospital healthcare and encourage falls prevention programs among older adults is essential.

Novo Vírus (Covid 19) – Situação Que O Brasil Se Encontrava Na Chegada Do Vírus E Consequências Das Medidas Adotadas

“…As quedas são eventos que merecem atenção junto à população geriátrica, pois frequentemente implicam em atendimento hospitalar, gerando maior dependência e menor sobrevida dos idosos (STOLT et al, 2020). Estudo investigou os fatores associados a quedas com 820 idosos residentes em zona rural de um município brasileiro e constatou probabilidade aumentada de quedas em mulheres com idade de 60 a 69 anos, dados que se assemelham ao presente estudo .…”

Trend of fall-related mortality among the elderly

“…Fall-related mortality among the elderly creates an economic, social, and psychological cost, representing a worldwide public health problem (1)(2)(3) . Falls entail high rates of hospitalization, functional disability, social isolation, and death, particularly in this age group (4)(5)(6) , and may lead to physical limitations with a higher level of dependence (7) .…”

“…In Brazil, only two studies investigated the national setting of hospitalization and the rates of fall-related mortality among the elderly (5,10) , registering an increase in deaths in recent years. Considering that there is a yearly expressive increase in the number of elders, who are exposed to the risk of falling, this study presents more recent data adding important evidence to the Brazilian context.…”

A Escala de Depressão Geriátrica pode ser utilizada para rastrear quedas em idosos comunitários?

“…2 No Brasil, observou-se aumento nas hospitalizações, mortalidade e letalidade por quedas em idosos entre os anos de 1998 a 2015. 3 Entre os anos de 2005 e 2010 os gastos em internações devido a quedas em idosos pelo Sistema Único de Saúde Brasileiro (SUS) foram de aproximadamente 80 milhões de dólares 4 e entre janeiro a outubro de 2020 foram registradas 105.993 internações por quedas no país, 5 onerando o sistema de saúde pública, 6 e evidenciando a necessidade de conhecer e prevenir o risco de futuras quedas.…”