[Six-months outcomes after admission in acute geriatric care unit secondary to a fall]

Abstract

Fall in elderly subject is a main event by its medical and social consequences, but few studies were dedicated to the prognosis from hospitalization in geriatric acute care unit.

Aim: Describe the outcome of elderly subjects hospitalized after a fall in geriatric acute care unit.

Methods: Longitudinal study of 6 months follow-up, 100 patients of 75 and more years old hospitalized after a fall in acute care geriatric unit.

Results: On a total of 128 patients hospitalized for fall, 100 agreed to participate in the study, 3 died during the hospitalization, so 97 subjects were able to be followed. During 6 months after the hospitalization, 14 patients died (14.9%), 51 (58%) have fallen again (58%) and 11 (22%) of them suffer from severe injuries. Thirty seven (39.7%) were rehospitalized and 10 of them related to fall. Among the patients coming from their home, 25 had been institutionalized. The main risk factor which have been identified to be associated with a new fall during the follow-up was a known dementia at the entry.

Conclusion: The medical and social prognosis of an elderly subject hospitalized in an acute care unit is severe. The main comorbidity which influences the medical and social outcome is a known dementia, in addition to a history of previous fall.