Risk factors associated with inpatient falls in three hospitals of Colombia

Abstract

Introduction: Falls in the hospital are adverse events that are associated with multiple risk factors and have important implications for patients and health systems. Objective: To determine risk factors associated with inpatient falls in three tertiary Colom-bian hospitals. Materials and methods: Analytical observational case-control study. The minimum sam-ple required for the study was 270 cases and 270 controls (5% alpha error). In total, 690 patients were included and 17 variables were analyzed. Data analysis was conducted by cal-culating the OR and developing a logistic regression model with a significance level of 5%. Results: Risk factors associated with inpatient falls were having a peripheral venous catheter (OR: 2.92, 95%CI: 1.01-8.43), being restrained or sedated (OR: 2.35, 95%CI: 1.11-4.97), having a hospital stay longer than eight days (OR: 2.85, 95%CI: 2.0-4.06), being treated with high risk medications (OR: 2.82, 95%CI: 1.86-4.28), not having a permanent hospital sitter (OR 2.68 95%CI 1.87-3.83) and finally being an uncooperative patient (OR: 1.61, 95%CI: 0.84-3.0), a variable without statistical significance, but clinically relevant. Conclusions: It was possible to determine risk factors associated with inpatient falls that need to be addressed by these three hospitals in order to prevent and reduce the occurrence of these adverse events. Likewise, other hospitals in the country may use the findings reported here to improve the care they provide to their patients and prevent inpatient falls in their facilities.