Drug consumption and frequency of falls in a one-year follow-up study among nursing home residents in Hungary].

Mária Bényi, Zsuzsanna Kéki, Péter Rákos-Zichy, Vilmosné Panics, Ivett Honvéd

Országos Szakfelügyeleti Módszertani Központ, Budapest Gyáli út 2-6. 1097. benyi.maria@oszmk.antsz.hu

Orvosi hetilap 2008 Oct 26

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The social and economic burden of falls among elderly is quite high in our time. Due to demographic changes the problem still persists. Across Europe great emphasis is laid on injury prevention among elderly. The authors accomplished a survey regarding the frequencies and causes of falls among the citizens of nursing homes within the frame of a EU program. The aim of the survey was not only to register the frequency of falls, but to reveal their background, regarding especially medicine consumption. A year-long survey was accomplished among 1016 inhabitants of two nursing homes with a standard questionnaire. During this period, the nursing personnel recorded every fall, their circumstances and consequences. Among the causes, beside environmental factors, medicine use is a high risk factor. The latter was evaluated according to effects and side-effects related to falls, based on their trademark labels. Statistical program SPSS 14.0 was used. Among the inhabitants of the two nursing homes 1013 falls happened during the 12 months. Two third of these required some degree of medical care afterwards. The most frequent cases were contusions, bruises or skin injuries (20-24%). Fractures happened in 4.8%, 3% of them at femoral neck, 1.8% at other bones. Almost every inhabitant uses medicine, 19% of them 3 or less sorts, the majority many times more. The maximal kind of medicine taken by one person was 19, the average is 6 types per person. The maximal number of side-effects related to falls per person was 43, the average was 14. The aggregation of side-effects is presented in detail. The number and proportion of falls among elderly living in nursing homes is remarkable. One probable cause of this should be the elevated medicine consumption, with numerous side-effects which raise the risk of falls.

Citation

Mária Bényi, Zsuzsanna Kéki, Péter Rákos-Zichy, Vilmosné Panics, Ivett Honvéd. Drug consumption and frequency of falls in a one-year follow-up study among nursing home residents in Hungary]. Orvosi hetilap. 2008 Oct 26;149(43):2053-9