TY  - JOUR
PY  - 1996//
TI  - Falls presenting to the accident and emergency department: types of presentation and risk factor profile
JO  - Age and ageing
A1  - Davies, A. J.
A1  - Kenny, R. A.
SP  - 362
EP  - 366
VL  - 25
IS  - 5
N2  - The aim of this study was to evaluate the type and frequency of falls presenting to an inner city casualty department, and to identify modifiable risk factors in these patients. A prospective descriptive study evaluated those over 65 years presenting to an inner city casualty department with falls. Over a 4-week recruitment period, all consenting subjects completed a semi-structured questionnaire regarding their falls and cognitive status. Those with unexplained (UF) or recurrent falls (RF) underwent a more detailed assessment: history and examination, gait and balance assessment, visual acuity measurement and neurocardiovascular investigations (including orthostatic blood pressure, carotid sinus massage and head-up tilt testing). Of 200 patients with falls, 188 were interviewed; 29% could recall a reason for falling (accidental) and 30% had UF or RF. A cohort of 26 cognitively normal patients with UF and RF was fully investigated. In 23/26 patients risk factors for falls were found (median: three risk factors). These included: culprit medication (10), gait abnormalities (9) and carotid sinus hypersensitivity (19). Falls are a common presenting complaint yet a fall is readily explained in less than one-third of cases. Investigation of RF and UF has a high yield for possibly modifiable cardiac and non-cardiac risk factors. Targeted multi-disciplinary rapid assessment of patients attending the Accident and Emergency Department because of a fall might reduce the number of hospital admissions.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 0002-0729
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/
ID  - ref1
ER  -