A Retrospective Cross-sectional Study on the Risk Factors of Recurrent Falls Among Inpatients

BACKGROUND: Recurrent falls are more likely to cause injuries and disabilities than single falls. PURPOSE: This study investigated the incidence and risk factors of recurrent falls among inpatients. METHODS: We analyzed inpatient fall data from the anomaly event notification database and electronic medical records of a hospital. We collected data regarding 1059 inpatients who had fallen during their hospital stay. Among these inpatients, 390 (36.83%) had fallen within the previous year. RESULTS: Inpatients in the orthopedics and neurology wards were at a higher risk of recurrent falls than those in surgical wards; inpatients who were physically dependent were at a higher risk of recurrent falls than those who were physically independent; inpatients with poor vision were at a lower risk of recurrent falls than those without this issue; and inpatients who were using antidepressants were at a higher risk of recurrent falls than those who were not using antidepressants. CONCLUSION: The risk of recurrent falls is highly correlated with ward type, physical independence, self-perceived good vision, and use of antidepressants.