Management of fall-related injuries in the elderly: a retrospective chart review of patients presenting to the emergency department of a community-based teaching hospital.

PURPOSE

To identify current practice for elderly individuals who have sustained a fall-related injury and subsequently presented to the emergency department (ED) of a community-based hospital in Toronto, Ontario.

METHODS

A retrospective longitudinal chart review was conducted for 300 persons, 65 years of age and older, who presented to the ED of a community-based teaching hospital with a fall from June 2004 through May 2005. Data were collected using a tool created by the investigators (based on information gathered through a literature review) to capture information related to risk factors for falling.

RESULTS

Our study sample was demographically similar to elderly individuals in other fall-related studies. Most patients discharged directly from the ED did not receive multidisciplinary care. In the ED, all patients saw a nurse or physician, while only 1.3% (n = 4) saw a physical therapist, 3.0% (n = 9) saw an occupational therapist, and 5.3% (n = 16) saw a social worker. At discharge, 62% (n = 152) had no documented referral for follow-up care. Abilities related to falls in elderly individuals were not consistently assessed in the ED. Frequency of assessment for these abilities was as follows: (1) gait, 10.2%; (2) balance, 4.1%; (3) lower-extremity range of motion, 4.9%; (4) lower-extremity strength, 2.0%; (5) cognition, 26.1%; (6) vision, 2.0%; (7) ability to perform activities of daily living, 7.3%. In the 6 months following the index fall, 8.3% of patients returned to the ED of the same hospital because of a subsequent fall.

CONCLUSIONS

In the ED, fall-related risk factors were not consistently assessed or documented, and few patients received multidisciplinary management. Since elderly individuals who fall commonly present to the ED, the implementation of evidence-based strategies aimed at preventing repeat falls should be considered.