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Risk Factors for New Accidental Falls in Elderly Patients at Traumatology Ambulatory Center

Daiane Gautério, Bruna Zortea, Silvana Santos, Bárbara Tarouco, Manuel Lopes, César Fonseca

Resultados

Modelo operacional de cuidados a idosos no domicílio.

Abstract

Objective
To identify the risks factors for new accidental falls in elderly patients attended in the Traumatology Ambulatory ofa University hospital in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.

Methodology
Quantitative study of the type of multiple cases. Performed at the traumatology ambulatory, amongst fifteen elders that attended the inclusion criteria: age of sixty or more; patient at the traumatology ambulatory because of a fall motivated by accident, oriented and in conditions of answer an interview of data collectors. The data collection was made between April and June, 2013, with the Elderly Nursing Core Set scale (Lopes & Fonseca). The data analysis was made by a descriptive structure, which helped identify the existence of relation patterns among the cases.

Results
The risk factors for new accidental falls identified with larger incidence amongst the elders studied were: impaired balance (15/15), age above 65 (11/15), use of antihypertensive drugs (9/15), absence of non-slip material at home environment (7/15), in seven cases; rugs scattered at the floor of the house (6/15).

Conclusion
The combination of intrinsic and extrinsic factors that include the environmental risks is considered a much more relevant cause to occur the new falls. The minimization of the home dangers, allied to the control of the elder intrinsic factors, may reduce the risks of causes. In that sense, is necessary that the nursing team make available more attention to the elderly assisted at the ambulatories, mainly those with sequelae due to fall accidents.

in Invest Educ Enferm. Vol. 33, Issue, 01, pp.35-43, January, 2015

Autores

Daiane Gautério, Bruna Zortea, Silvana Santos, Bárbara Tarouco, Manuel Lopes, César Fonseca.

Keywords

Aged; Accidental falls; Risk factors; Nursing.

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