Retrospective analysis of the falls in patients with lung diseases in hospital conditions

Objective. Patient falls are categorized as the most common adverse events in hospital practice. Patients with lung diseases are elderly, multimorbidity, limited mobility and cognitive dysfunctions, which is why they may have an increased risk. The aim of this research is to analyze the risk factors of falls during hospitalization of patients with lung diseases, as well as their causes and consequences. Methods. The study was designed as a retrospective - a pilot study on a sample of 37 patients with lung diseases in Institute for Pulmonary Diseases of Vojvodina, both sexes, aged from 43 to 90 years. Data were collected from medical records. The results are presented in tables and figures. Results. The sample consisted of 19(51%) male and 18(49%) female patients, 34(92%) aged >60 years. Analysis of risk factors indicated the greatest degree of increased risk of falling: older age > 60 years 34 (92%), respiratory insufficiency 33 (89%), multimorbidity 36 (97%), drugs with risk factors 36 (97%) and additional equipment 36 (97%). The main causes of falls in 25 (68%) of patients are cognitive dysfunction, in 7 (19%) environmental factors, while in 5 (13%) the cause of the fall is unknown. In our sample, 20 (54%) of the patients were without injuries. Conclusion. Based on this pilot study, we can conclude that there are a lot of associated risk factors that contribute to increased risk of falling in the analyzed population group, and in future research, it is necessary to investigate in more detail also in other lung diseases.