@article{ref1,
title="Medication and medical diagnosis as risk factors for falls in older hospitalized patients",
journal="European journal of clinical pharmacology",
year="2019",
author="Wedmann, Fabian and Himmel, Wolfgang and Nau, Roland",
volume="75",
number="8",
pages="1117-1124",
abstract="OBJECTIVE: To examine the impact of medication and medical conditions on the fall risk in older hospitalized patients. <br><br>DESIGN: Matched case-control study. SETTING: Large regional hospital in a mid-sized German city. SUBJECTS: Four hundred eighty-one inpatients aged ≥ 65 years who fell during hospitalization (&quot;cases&quot;) and a control group of 481 controls, matched for age, gender, and hospital department. <br><br>METHODS: Diagnosis, medication, vital parameters, and injuries were compared between cases and controls. Univariate and multivariable odds ratios (ORs) and their corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated. MAIN RESULTS: Several drugs were significantly associated with falls in multivariate analyses: long-acting benzodiazepines (adjusted OR = 3.49; 95%-CI = 1.16-10.52), serotonin-noradrenalin reuptake inhibitors (SNRI) (2.57; 1.23-5.12), Z-drugs (2.29; 1.38-3.59), low-potency neuroleptics (1.87; 1.08-3.23), ACE inhibitors/sartans (1.42; 1.07-1.89). Digoxin (0.32; 0.11-0.99) and aldosterone receptor antagonists (0.54; 0.33-0.88) were negatively associated with falls. No significant association in multivariate analyses was found for short- and intermediate-acting benzodiazepines, mirtazapine, and opioids. Hyponatremia (1.52; 1.15-2.03) and leukocytosis (1.39; 1.05-1.87) in blood examination on admission showed significant association with falls. As secondary diagnoses, Parkinson syndrome (2.38; 1.27-4.46) and delirium (3.74; 2.26-6.21) were strongly associated with falls. The use of more than one psychoactive drug was a separate risk factor for falls (p < 0.0001). <br><br>CONCLUSION: Several drugs including SNRI, neuroleptics, and Z-drugs showed a significant association with inpatient falls. The frequently prescribed tetracyclic antidepressant mirtazapine did not appear to increase the risk of falls. Psychoactive polypharmacy should be avoided.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0031-6970",
doi="10.1007/s00228-019-02668-3",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00228-019-02668-3"
}