Medication Management to Prevent Falls in Elderly Patients
Author Information
Author(s): Wolf Ursula, Drewas Luise, Ghadir Hassan, Bauer Christian, Becherer Lars, Delank Karl-Stefan, Neef Rüdiger
Primary Institution: University Hospital Halle (Saale), Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg
Hypothesis
Can Individual Pharmacotherapy Management (IPM) reduce in-hospital falls among elderly patients on polypharmacy?
Conclusion
The study found that IPM significantly reduced in-hospital falls in elderly patients from 9% to 1.5%.
Supporting Evidence
- IPM was associated with a significant reduction in in-hospital falls.
- The number needed to treat to prevent one fall was 14.
- Baseline characteristics were similar between the control and intervention groups.
- IPM adjusted medications based on individual patient needs.
- Factors associated with falls included antipsychotics and cognitive impairment.
Takeaway
This study shows that adjusting medications for older patients can help prevent falls in the hospital.
Methodology
A retrospective pre-post intervention study comparing 200 patients before IPM implementation with 204 patients during the IPM intervention.
Potential Biases
The study population mainly consisted of patients with a history of falls, which may predispose them to re-fall.
Limitations
The study is retrospective, which may introduce bias, and it did not account for all potential confounding factors.
Participant Demographics
Elderly patients, predominantly female, aged 70 and older.
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.021
Confidence Interval
[95% CI 0.04; 0.76]
Statistical Significance
p = 0.021
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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