Risk Factors and Characteristics of Falls Among Hospitalized Stroke Patients

Falls and fall-related injuries during hospitalization may cause serious problems and consequences for patients, their quality of life as well as increased healthcare expenses. The aim of the paper were to assess fall risks and identify risk factors, related to falls among stroke patients. This was a retrospective cohort study that included 217 neurological patients with acute stroke who have experienced fall during hospitalization. Morse Fall Scale was used to estimate a likelihood of falling for hospitalized patients. In total, 1.4% patients with acute stroke experienced a fall during hospitalization. According to the fall risk assessment, 77% of the patients presented a high risk for falls. Women, older respondents and those who were hospitalized for period longer than 22 days and who had higher levels of care, had higher values of Morse score. The most common risk factors for falls are: the presence of other medical diagnosis, the use of disability aids while walking, the use of intravenous therapy, disorientation in time and space, and the largest contribution to Morse score comes from using disability aids while walking and transferring patients. Greater risk of falling was observed in older neurological patients with ischemic type of stroke and weakness on the left side of the body, patients with longer hospitalization period and those with higher level of care.