Description and Implications of Falls in Patients Hospitalized Due to COVID-19.

BACKGROUND: Many hospital quality indicators, including falls, worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic. Patients hospitalized with COVID-19 may be at risk for falling due to the disease itself, patient characteristics, or aspects of care delivery. PURPOSE: To describe and explore falls in patients hospitalized with COVID-19. METHODS: We pooled data from 107 hospitalized adult patients who fell between March 2020 and April 2021. Patients who fell had a current, pending, or recent diagnosis of COVID-19. We analyzed patient characteristics, fall circumstances, and patient and organizational contributing factors using frequencies, the chi-square test, and Fisher's exact test. RESULTS: Patient contributing factors included patients' lack of safety awareness, impaired physical function, and respiratory concerns. Organizational contributing factors related to staff and the isolation environment. CONCLUSIONS: Recommendations for managing fall risk in patients hospitalized with COVID-19 include frequent reassessment of risk, consideration of respiratory function as a risk factor, ongoing patient education, assisted mobility, and adequate staff training.

Impact of Patient-Engaged Video Surveillance on Nursing Workforce Safety: Patient Aggression/Violence.

BACKGROUND: Health care workers are 4 times more likely to suffer violence than workers in other industries. PURPOSE: The aim was to examine types of patients' verbal/physical abuse against the nursing workforce observed through patient-engaged video surveillance (PEVS) and interventions initiated by monitor technicians. METHODS: A descriptive study was conducted to analyze all types of patient-initiated abuse, physical and verbal, reported from 73 hospitals and patient response to PEVS. RESULTS: Of 150 434 patients whom RNs enrolled into 24-hour PEVS, 5034 patients (3%) were identified by RNs as at risk for aggressive/violent behavior as their primary or secondary reason for PEVS enrollment, and 32 (0.60%) patients exhibited such behavior. A total of 221 patients demonstrated aggressive/violent behaviors, 32 (15%) were identified as at risk, and 189 (85%) were not. However, 5002 (99%; 5002/5034) of the patients identified as a risk for aggressive/violent behaviors did not exhibit these behaviors. CONCLUSIONS: Patient-engaged video surveillance is an effective method to track and trend patient aggression toward nursing staff, increasing patient and nursing workforce safety. Because 99% of the patients who exhibited aggressive/violent behavior were not identified by RNs as at risk, organizations should consider adding violence risk tools as part of patients' admission assessment.

Preventing Falls and Fall-Related Injuries in State Veterans Homes: Virtual Breakthrough Series Collaborative.

This article reports on improved processes and outcomes from a virtual breakthrough series quality improvement collaborative to reduce preventable falls and fall-related injuries in 23 State Veterans Homes. Participating teams implemented 24 interventions (process changes); the most common was the postfall huddle. Teams reduced falls and fall-related injuries. This project highlights the importance of leadership support, interdisciplinary team involvement, and collaboration as essential components of fall prevention work.

Characteristics of the middle-age adult inpatient fall.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to describe characteristics of middle-age inpatients' (ages 45-64) fallers and their fall and fall injury risk factors. BACKGROUND: Middle-age falls were 42-46% of inpatient falls. Studies related to inpatient falls have not targeted this population. METHODS: A 439 retrospective chart review was performed. Middle-age fall and injury rates were compared with ages 21-44 and 65-90. RESULTS: The mean age was 55.75years (SD 5.26). 28.7% (n=126) of falls resulted in injury. Individual fallers (n=386) had a mean of four comorbidities (SD 1.843), including hypertension (46.5%), anxiety/depression (40.2%), and alcohol and drug abuse (32.9%). There was no significant difference (p=.637) in fall rates per 1,000 patient days between ages 45-64 and 65-90. CONCLUSION: Middle-age inpatients' acute illness makes them as vulnerable for fall and injury as the older population. They should not be overlooked for fall prevention measures.

Reducing Falls and Fall-Related Injuries in Medical-Surgical Units: One-Year Multihospital Falls Collaborative.

On the basis of fall injury program characteristics across multiple inpatient medical-surgical units from 6 medical centers, we developed and implemented an operational strategic plan to address fall and injury prevention program attributes and enhance program infrastructure and capacity. Expert faculty provided lectures and served as coaches and mentors through triweekly conference calls and collaborative e-mail exchange. Statistically significant findings support improved fall and injury prevention program components and processes at the organizational and unit levels.

Nursing Home Registered Nurses' and Licensed Practical Nurses' Knowledge of Causes of Falls.

Reducing falls in nursing homes requires a knowledgeable nursing workforce. To test knowledge, 8 validated vignettes representing multifactorial fall causes were administered to 47 nurses from 3 nursing homes. Although licensed practical nurses scored higher than registered nurses in individual categories of falls, when we computed the average score of all 8 categories between groups of registered nurses and licensed practical nurses, registered nurses scored higher (F = 4.106; P < .05) in identifying 8 causal reasons for older adults to fall.

Evidence Levels: Applied to Select Fall and Fall Injury Prevention Practices.

PROBLEM: Rehabilitation nurses know the impact of injury on function, independence, and quality of life, complicated by age-related changes associated with decreased strength, endurance, reserve, frailty, and social and financial resources. Multidisciplinary teams are essential to provide expert, age specific health care delivery to this vulnerable population across settings of care. PURPOSE: The purpose of this article is to apply level of evidence rating scales to identify the best practice interventions to prevent falls on rehabilitation units. KEY FINDINGS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The evidence supports the importance of determining specific risk factors and initiating multifactorial fall risk factors tailored to the individual. Yet, little evidence exists for single interventions, universal fall prevention strategies, and population-specific fall prevention strategies. A review of the literature confirms the effectiveness of many fall prevention practices and interventions remains insufficient. Of particular concern are rehabilitation units in hospitals that have higher fall rates compared to other acute units.

Reducing falls and fall-related injuries in mental health: a 1-year multihospital falls collaborative.

Despite much research on falls occurring on medical-surgical units and in long-term care settings, falls on inpatient psychiatry units are understudied. On the basis of fall injury program characteristics across multiple inpatient psychiatry units, we developed and implemented an operational strategic plan to address each falls prevention program element and enhance program infrastructure and capacity. Expert faculty provided lectures, coaching, and mentoring through biweekly conference calls and collaborative e-mail exchange. Findings support continued efforts to integrate measures to reduce serious fall-related injuries.

A qualitative understanding of patient falls in inpatient mental health units.

BACKGROUND: Falls are the leading cause of injury-related deaths among people age 65 and older, and fractures are the major category of serious injuries produced by falls. OBJECTIVE: Determine market segment-specific recommendations for "selling" falls prevention in acute inpatient psychiatry. DESIGN: Descriptive using focus groups. SETTING: One inpatient unit at a Veterans' hospital in the Southeastern United States and one national conference of psychiatric and mental health nurses. PATIENTS: A convenience sample of 22 registered nurses and advanced practice nurses, one physical therapist and two physicians participated in one of six focus groups. INTERVENTION: None. MEASUREMENTS: Focus groups were conducted by expert facilitators using a semistructured interview guide. Focus groups were recorded and transcribed. Content analysis was used to organize findings. RESULTS: Findings were grouped into fall risk assessment, clinical fall risk precautions, programmatic fall prevention, and "selling" fall prevention in psychiatry. Participants focused on falls prevention instead of fall injury prevention, were committed to reducing risk, and were receptive to learning how to improve safety. Participants recognized unique features of their patients and care settings that defined risk, and were highly motivated to work with other disciplines to keep patients safe. CONCLUSIONS: Selling fall injury prevention to staff in psychiatric settings is similar to selling fall injury prevention to staff in other health care settings. Appealing to the larger construct of patient safety will motivate staff in psychiatric settings to implement best practices and customize these to account for unique population needs characteristics.

Hospital-based fall program measurement and improvement in high reliability organizations.

Falls and fall injuries in hospitals are the most frequently reported adverse event among adults in the inpatient setting. Advancing measurement and improvement around falls prevention in the hospital is important as falls are a nurse sensitive measure and nurses play a key role in this component of patient care. A framework for applying the concepts of high reliability organizations to falls prevention programs is described, including discussion of the core characteristics of such a model and determining the impact at the patient, unit, and organizational level. This article showcases the components of a patient safety culture and the integration of these components with fall prevention, the role of nurses, and high reliability.

Effects of telerehabilitation on physical function and disability for stroke patients: a randomized, controlled trial.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: To determine the effect of a multifaceted stroke telerehabilitation (STeleR) intervention on physical function, and secondarily on disability, in veterans poststroke. METHODS: We conducted a prospective, randomized, multisite, single-blinded trial in 52 veterans with stroke from 3 Veterans Affairs medical centers. Veterans with a stroke in the preceding 24 months were randomized to the STeleR intervention or usual care. The STeleR intervention consisted of 3 home visits, 5 telephone calls, and an in-home messaging device provided over 3 months to instruct patients in functionally based exercises and adaptive strategies. Usual care participants received routine rehabilitation care as prescribed by their physicians. The primary outcome measures were improvement in function at 6 months, measured by both the motor subscale of the Telephone Version of Functional Independence Measure and by the function scales of the Late-Life Function and Disability Instrument. RESULTS: The 2 complementary primary outcomes (Late-Life Function and Disability Instrument Function and Telephone Version of Functional Independence Measure) improved at 6 months for the STeleR group and declined for the usual care group, but the differences were not statistically significant (P=0.25, Late-Life Function and Disability Instrument; P=0.316). Several of secondary outcomes were statistically significant. At 6 months, compared with the usual care group, the STeleR group showed statistically significant improvements in 4 of the 5 Late-Life Function and Disability Instrument disability component subscales (P<0.05), and approached significance in 1 of the 3 Function component subscales (P=0.06). CONCLUSIONS: The STeleR intervention significantly improved physical function, with improvements persisting up to 3 months after completing the intervention. STeleR could be a useful supplement to traditional poststroke rehabilitation given the limited resources available for in-home rehabilitation for stroke survivors. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT00384748.

Minnesota Hospital Association Statewide Project: SAFE from FALLS.

Since 2007, the Minnesota Hospital Association (MHA) has developed, managed, and promoted a statewide fall and injury reduction program to reduce inpatient falls and injuries, SAFE from FALLS. Because of statewide success in reducing falls from 2007-2010, the MHA set the goal in 2010 to eliminate serious fall-related injuries, especially head injuries. The outcomes that large-scale, multifacility health care organizations can have in reducing hospital-based falls resulting in serious injury (25% reduction) are presented, along with lessons learned.

Buprenorphine transdermal system for opioid therapy in patients with chronic low back pain.

OBJECTIVE: The present randomized, double-blinded, crossover study compared the efficacy and safety of a seven-day buprenorphine transdermal system (BTDS) and placebo in patients with low back pain of moderate or greater severity for at least six weeks. METHODS: Prestudy analgesics were discontinued the evening before random assignment to 5 microg/h BTDS or placebo, with acetaminophen 300 mg/codeine 30 mg, one to two tablets every 4 h to 6 h as needed, for rescue analgesia. The dose was titrated to effect weekly, if tolerated, to 10 microg/h and 20 microg/h BTDS. Each treatment phase was four weeks. RESULTS: Fifty-three patients (28 men, 25 women, mean [+/- SD] age 54.5+/-12.7 years) were evaluable for efficacy (completed two weeks or more in each phase). Baseline pain was 62.1+/-15.5 mm (100 mm visual analogue scale) and 2.5+/-0.6 (five-point ordinal scale). BTDS resulted in lower mean daily pain scores than in the placebo group (37.6+/-20.7 mm versus 43.6+/-21.2 mm on a visual analogue scale, P=0.0487; and 1.7+/-0.6 versus 2.0+/-0.7 on the ordinal scale, P=0.0358). Most patients titrated to the highest dose of BTDS (59% 20 microg/h, 31% 10 microg/h and 10% 5 microg/h). There were improvements from baseline in pain and disability (Pain Disability Index), Pain and Sleep (visual analogue scale), Quebec Back Pain Disability Scale and Short-Form 36 Health Survey scores for both BTDS and placebo groups, without significant differences between treatments. While there were more opioid-related side effects with BTDS treatment than with placebo, there were no serious adverse events. A total of 82% of patients chose to continue BTDS in a long-term open-label evaluation, in whom improvements in pain intensity, functionality and quality of life were sustained for up to six months without analgesic tolerance. CONCLUSION: BTDS (5 microg/h to 20 microg/h) represents a new treatment option for initial opioid therapy in patients with chronic low back pain.

Clinical Risk Factors for Orthostatic Hypotension: Results Among Elderly Fallers in Long-Term Care.

BACKGROUND: Patients at greatest risk for fall-related injuries are older adults with orthostatic hypotension (OH), a condition which drops blood pressure. This study sought to determine salient demographic and patient-level factors increasing risk for OH among a sample of elderly fallers. METHODS: Data analysis for this retrospective study sought to assess the relationship between various demographic and clinical risk factors and the likelihood of OH. Because fallers could experience multiple falls, generalized estimating equations were used to account for patient-level correlations. RESULTS: One hundred seventeen falls occurred in 47 patients, who were primarily female with a mean age of 90.7 years. Falls resulted in 18 cases of OH. Orthostatic hypotension cases were less likely to have a gait in a steady line (5.6% vs 55.6%, P = 0.001). Patients with decreased muscular coordination were almost 5 times more likely to experience OH than those with no coordination problems (odds ratio = 4.86, P = 0.02). Patients with gait in a steady line were less likely to experience OH after a fall (OR = 0.06, P = 0.006). CONCLUSIONS: Orthostatic hypotension is potentially modifiable once detected. Evidenced-based protocol for assessment and management of OH among patients with gait and balance impairment is presented.

Reducing serious injury from falls in two veterans' hospital medical-surgical units.

A large veteran's hospital participated in a year-long collaborative project across 9 hospitals to reduce serious injury from falls in acute care, targeting medical-surgical units. The primary objective of this project was to develop and test a set of interventions (bundles) to prevent serious physical injury (fractures and hemorrhagic bleeds) from patient falls. The interventions were implemented using tests of change on 2 medical-surgical units focused on engaging unit-based staff and combining innovations for vulnerable populations at greatest risk for injury if they fall.

Central nervous system medication changes and falls in nursing home residents.

We investigated the role of changes in 6 mutually exclusive medication categories on the risk of falling in nursing home residents. The 6 categories were: gastrointestinal, hypoglycemics, antibiotics, central nervous system (CNS) acting, cardiovascular disease agents, and analgesics. A change was defined as a new start, a dose change, an as-needed dose, or a discontinuation. Incident reports were used to determine the fall date and time. Medication records were abstracted to identify the date of changes before the date of each fall. The 158 residents who fell had 419 recorded falls during 2002 and 2003; they were on average 80.5 years old (SD 8.1; range 65-103), and 67% were men. Within 1-3 days of a change in any CNS medication (antipsychotic, sedative, antidepressant, or antiseizure), the fall risk (odds ratio) increased 3.4-fold (95% confidence interval 1.2-9.5) using 7-9 days prior as comparable control days. No changes in other medication categories had a significant effect on fall risk. These data suggest that the risk of falls among nursing home residents is significantly elevated within 3 days of a CNS medication change.