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DOI: 10.1055/s-0034-1386845
Prevention of iatrogenic falls
Falls belong to the most frequent adverse drug events (ADEs) among geriatric patients. At the Bezirksklinikum Regensburg an observational study is conducted that aims to examine the frequency of ADEs in this subgroup. Falls were seen in 20.34 percent of the patients. Thus, a risk assessment based on medication and pre-existing conditions is needed.
The medication is evaluated by the “Sturzscore” developed within our research group. The following issues are considered: antihypertensive agents, psychotropic drugs lowering blood pressure, muscle relaxants, opioids, age ≥75 years, specific pre-existing conditions, systolic pressure < 120 mmHg. Every drug and every risk factor receives a point. The total “Sturzscore” is obtained by adding all values.
Results: A preliminary evaluation shows a significant difference between the risk scores of fallers vs. non-fallers (p = 0.0484; t-test). Patients fallen obtained a mean score of 6.67 points (SD ± 1.97), while non-fallers received a mean score of 5.30 points (SD ± 2.13).
At the end of the study the factors, increasing the risk for a fall, will be ranked by performing a multivariate analysis.