Accidental fall
An accidental fall is defined as a fall "due to slipping or tripping which results in injury".[1]
Falls in the elderly
At least a third of persons aged 65 years or more fall each year, with 10% leading to injury.[2]
Assessing risk
The presence of various medical conditions and the results of functional tests can assess the risk of falling.[3] Examples of such tests are Gait velocity and the Timed-Up-and-Go tests.[4] A Timed-Up-and-Go test of < 15 seconds suggests a low risk of falling.[5] In the Timed-Up-and-Go test "patients to stand up from a chair, walk a short distance, turn around, return, and sit down again."[6]
Causes
Buckling, or sudden giving way, of the knees is associated with osteoarthritis of the knees and quadriceps muscle weakness.[7]
Chronic muscle pain may be associated with an increased risk of falls.[8]
Wearing multifocal eyeglasses may increase falls.[9]
Medications
Medications[10], especially psychotropic[11] and cardiac[12] are associated with increased risk of falling.
Prevention
Individual interventions
One randomized controlled trial reported that tai chi, one hour per week for 16 weeks, can prevent falls in patients aged 60 or more.[13]
A meta-analysis by the Cochrane Collaboration found benefit among cummunity-dwelling persons from:[14]
- Individually targeted exercise or physical therapy consisting of strength training, balance, and walking.
- Home safety interventions.
According to a subsequent meta-analysis by the Cochrane Collaboration, the role of modifying the home environment for the reduction of injuries has not been established.[15]
Withdrawing psychotropics mediations may prevent falls.[16][17]
Medications
Vitamin D may prevent falls by increasing muscle strength.[18]
Multifactorial interventions
A meta-analysis by the Cochrane Collaboration found benefit among cummunity-dwelling persons from multidisciplinary, multifactorial, health, or environmental risk-factor screening or intervention programs.[14] A more recent randomized controlled trial confirms this[19][20] although not all trials have shown benefit.[21]
References
- ↑ National Library of Medicine. Accidental Falls. Retrieved on 2007-10-17.
- ↑ Tinetti ME (2003). "Clinical practice. Preventing falls in elderly persons". N. Engl. J. Med. 348 (1): 42–9. DOI:10.1056/NEJMcp020719. PMID 12510042. Research Blogging.
- ↑ Thurman DJ, Stevens JA, Rao JK (2008). "Practice parameter: Assessing patients in a neurology practice for risk of falls (an evidence-based review): report of the Quality Standards Subcommittee of the American Academy of Neurology". Neurology 70 (6): 473–9. DOI:10.1212/01.wnl.0000299085.18976.20. PMID 18250292. Research Blogging.
- ↑ van Iersel MB, Munneke M, Esselink RA, Benraad CE, Olde Rikkert MG (2008). "Gait velocity and the Timed-Up-and-Go test were sensitive to changes in mobility in frail elderly patients". J Clin Epidemiol 61 (2): 186-91. DOI:10.1016/j.jclinepi.2007.04.016. PMID 18177792. Research Blogging.
- ↑ Nordin E, Lindelöf N, Rosendahl E, Jensen J, Lundin-Olsson L. Prognostic validity of the Timed Up-and-Go test, a modified Get-Up-and-Go test, staff's global judgement and fall history in evaluating fall risk in residential care facilities. Age Ageing. 2008 Jul;37(4):442-8. Epub 2008 May 30. DOI:10.1093/ageing/afn101 PMID 18515291
- ↑ Mathias S, Nayak US, Isaacs B. Balance in elderly patients: the "get-up and go" test. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 1986 Jun;67(6):387-9. PMID 3487300
- ↑ Felson DT, Niu J, McClennan C, et al (2007). "Knee buckling: prevalence, risk factors, and associated limitations in function". Ann. Intern. Med. 147 (8): 534–40. PMID 17938391. [e]
- ↑ Leveille SG, Jones RN, Kiely DK, Hausdorff JM, Shmerling RH, Guralnik JM et al. (2009). "Chronic musculoskeletal pain and the occurrence of falls in an older population.". JAMA 302 (20): 2214-21. DOI:10.1001/jama.2009.1738. PMID 19934422. Research Blogging.
- ↑ Menant JC, St George RJ, Sandery B, Fitzpatrick RC, Lord SR (2009). "Older people contact more obstacles when wearing multifocal glasses and performing a secondary visual task.". J Am Geriatr Soc 57 (10): 1833-8. DOI:10.1111/j.1532-5415.2009.02436.x. PMID 19694864. Research Blogging.
- ↑ Woolcott JC, Richardson KJ, Wiens MO, Patel B, Marin J, Khan KM et al. (2009). "Meta-analysis of the impact of 9 medication classes on falls in elderly persons.". Arch Intern Med 169 (21): 1952-60. DOI:10.1001/archinternmed.2009.357. PMID 19933955. Research Blogging.
- ↑ Leipzig RM, Cumming RG, Tinetti ME (1999). "Drugs and falls in older people: a systematic review and meta-analysis: I. Psychotropic drugs". Journal of the American Geriatrics Society 47 (1): 30–9. PMID 9920227. [e]
- ↑ Leipzig RM, Cumming RG, Tinetti ME (1999). "Drugs and falls in older people: a systematic review and meta-analysis: II. Cardiac and analgesic drugs". Journal of the American Geriatrics Society 47 (1): 40–50. PMID 9920228. [e]
- ↑ Voukelatos A, Cumming RG, Lord SR, Rissel C (2007). "A randomized, controlled trial of tai chi for the prevention of falls: the Central Sydney tai chi trial". Journal of the American Geriatrics Society 55 (8): 1185–91. DOI:10.1111/j.1532-5415.2007.01244.x. PMID 17661956. Research Blogging.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 Gillespie LD, Gillespie WJ, Robertson MC, Lamb SE, Cumming RG, Rowe BH (2003). "Interventions for preventing falls in elderly people". Cochrane database of systematic reviews (Online) (4): CD000340. DOI:10.1002/14651858.CD000340. PMID 14583918. Research Blogging. [ACP Journal Club]
- ↑ Lyons RA, John A, Brophy S, et al (2006). "Modification of the home environment for the reduction of injuries". Cochrane database of systematic reviews (Online) (4): CD003600. DOI:10.1002/14651858.CD003600.pub2. PMID 17054179. Research Blogging.
- ↑ Campbell AJ, Robertson MC, Gardner MM, Norton RN, Buchner DM (1999). "Psychotropic medication withdrawal and a home-based exercise program to prevent falls: a randomized, controlled trial". J Am Geriatr Soc 47 (7): 850–3. PMID 10404930. [e]
- ↑ Campbell AJ, Robertson MC (2007). "Rethinking individual and community fall prevention strategies: a meta-regression comparing single and multifactorial interventions". Age Ageing 36 (6): 656–62. DOI:10.1093/ageing/afm122. PMID 18056731. Research Blogging.
- ↑ Bischoff-Ferrari HA, Dawson-Hughes B, Staehelin HB, Orav JE, Stuck AE, Theiler R et al. (2009). "Fall prevention with supplemental and active forms of vitamin D: a meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials.". BMJ 339: b3692. DOI:10.1136/bmj.b3692. PMID 19797342. Research Blogging.
- ↑ Tinetti M et al. (2008) Effect of Dissemination of Evidence in Reducing Injuries from Falls. New England Journal of Medicine
- ↑ Baker DI, King MB, Fortinsky RH, et al (April 2005). "Dissemination of an evidence-based multicomponent fall risk-assessment and -management strategy throughout a geographic area". J Am Geriatr Soc 53 (4): 675–80. DOI:10.1111/j.1532-5415.2005.53218.x. PMID 15817016. Research Blogging.
- ↑ Hendriks MR, Bleijlevens MH, van Haastregt JC, et al (July 2008). "Lack of Effectiveness of a Multidisciplinary Fall-Prevention Program in Elderly People at Risk: A Randomized, Controlled Trial". J Am Geriatr Soc. DOI:10.1111/j.1532-5415.2008.01803.x. PMID 18662214. Research Blogging.