Table 3.
Multivariable analysis of patient’s medical and health risk factors associated with the severity level of fall.
| Risk category | Risk condition | SAC 3 n (%) (n = 3545) | SAC 2 n (%) (n = 142) | SAC 1 n (%) (n = 18) | Estimate (SD) | p-value | Adj. odds [95% confidence interval] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| History of fall | No falls history | 1,414 (37.0) | 52 (36.6) | 10 (55.6) | − 0.010 (0.262) | 0.969 | 0.990 [0.593, 1.653] |
| > 1 fall in previous 6 months | 1,472 (38.5) | 47 (33.1) | 5 (27.8) | 0.192 (0.222) | 0.387 | 1.212 [0.784, 1.873] | |
| Admitted because of a fall | 638 (16.7) | 27 (19.0) | 4 (22.2) | − 0.122 (0.238) | 0.608 | 0.885 [0.555, 1.411] | |
| Had fall/s or near miss/es during current admission | 775 (20.3) | 34 (23.9) | 3 (16.7) | − 0.399 (0.237) | 0.092 | 0.671 [0.422, 1.067] | |
| Behavioural | No behaviour/mental state/cognition issues | 1,049 (27.4) | 40 (28.2) | 6 (33.3) | − 0.113 (0.250) | 0.652 | 0.893 [0.547, 1.459] |
| Dehydration | 226 (5.9) | 6 (4.2) | 1 (5.6) | 0.352 (0.424) | 0.406 | 1.422 [0.620, 3.260] | |
| Delirium, anxiety, agitation issues | 1,072 (28.0) | 35 (24.6) | 6 (33.3) | 0.001 (0.217) | 0.996 | 1.001 [0.654, 1.531] | |
| Dementia/cognitive impairment issues | 1,014 (26.5) | 36 (25.4) | 3 (16.7) | 0.033 (0.222) | 0.883 | 1.033 [0.669, 1.597] | |
| Difficulty communicating or following instructions | 1,045 (27.3) | 35 (24.6) | 4 (22.2) | 0.021 (0.217) | 0.922 | 1.022 [0.667, 1.563] | |
| Impaired consciousness | 192 (5.0) | 10 (7.0) | 1 (5.6) | − 0.531 (0.344) | 0.123 | 0.588 [0.300, 1.154] | |
| Intellectual disability affecting judgement of physical ability | 157 (4.1) | 2 (1.4) | 1 (5.6) | 0.500 (0.602) | 0.406 | 1.649 [0.507, 5.363] | |
| Marked depression | 131 (3.4) | 9 (6.3) | 2 (11.1) | − 0.983 (0.362) | 0.007* | 0.374 [0.184, 0.760] | |
| Neurological condition | 750 (19.6) | 27 (19.0) | 2 (11.1) | − 0.195 (0.270) | 0.470 | 0.823 [0.484, 1.398] | |
| Under the influence of alcohol or illicit drugs | 105 (2.7) | 13 (9.2) | 0 (0.0) | − 1.452 (0.357) | < 0.001* | 0.234 [0.116, 0.472] | |
| Mobility | No mobility transfer issues | 217 (5.7) | 13 (9.2) | 0 (0.0) | 0.183 (0.344) | 0.594 | 1.201 [0.612, 2.355] |
| Dizziness, light-headedness, faintness, dehydration | 541 (14.2) | 21 (14.8) | 0 (0.0) | 0.117 (0.256) | 0.647 | 1.124 [0.681, 1.855] | |
| Impaired lower limb peripheral sensation | 486 (12.7) | 12 (8.5) | 3 (16.7) | 0.249 (0.303) | 0.411 | 1.283 [0.708, 2.325] | |
| Lower limb amputee | 76 (2.0) | 1 (0.7) | 0 (0.0) | 1.149 (1.022) | 0.261 | 3.155 [0.425, 23.392] | |
| Non or partial weight-bearing | 274 (7.2) | 6 (4.2) | 1 (5.6) | 0.587 (0.418) | 0.160 | 1.798 [0.793, 4.077] | |
| Poor balance, unsteady | 2,333 (61.0) | 70 (49.3) | 12 (66.7) | 0.483 (0.192) | 0.012* | 1.622 [1.114, 2.361] | |
| Poor vision, such that it affects mobility | 283 (7.4) | 11 (7.7) | 1 (5.6) | 0.031 (0.318) | 0.922 | 1.032 [0.553, 1.925] | |
| Requires assistance to mobilise | 1,727 (45.2) | 56 (39.4) | 9 (50.0) | 0.051 (0.197) | 0.796 | 1.052 [0.715, 1.549] | |
| Requires standby assistance | 1,500 (39.2) | 39 (27.5) | 11 (61.1) | 0.387 (0.190) | 0.042* | 1.473 [1.014, 2.138] | |
| Requires walking aid or similar e.g., crutches, walking frame | 1,462 (38.2) | 49 (34.5) | 10 (55.6) | − 0.073 (0.197) | 0.711 | 0.930 [0.632, 1.368] | |
| Severe foot problems—pain, deformity, or marked swelling | 249 (6.5) | 12 (8.5) | 1 (5.6) | − 0.482 (0.334) | 0.149 | 0.618 [0.321, 1.188] | |
| Significant pain when walking, transferring | 253 (6.6) | 13 (9.2) | 1 (5.6) | − 0.445 (0.312) | 0.154 | 0.641 [0.348, 1.182] | |
| Urge incontinence, occasional incontinence | 590 (15.4) | 22 (15.5) | 4 (22.2) | − 0.204 (0.235) | 0.384 | 0.815 [0.515, 1.291] | |
| Weakness, generalised muscular weakness | 1,142 (29.9) | 31 (21.8) | 7 (38.9) | 0.266 (0.205) | 0.195 | 1.305 [0.873, 1.951] | |
| Medication | Medication issues | 1,061 (27.8) | 55 (38.7) | 5 (27.8) | − 0.623 (0.260) | 0.017* | 0.537 [0.322, 0.893] |
| Diuretics | 490 (12.8) | 17 (12.0) | 2 (11.1) | − 0.071 (0.275) | 0.797 | 0.932 [0.543, 1.598] | |
| General Anaesthetic (within 24/24) | 69 (1.8) | 5 (3.5) | 0 (0.0) | − 0.754 (0.502) | 0.133 | 0.470 [0.176, 1.257] | |
| Polypharmacy—more than 5 prescribed medications | 1,877 (49.1) | 59 (41.5) | 12 (66.7) | − 0.297 (0.243) | 0.221 | 0.743 [0.462, 1.196] | |
| Psychoactive medications—antidepressants or benzodiazepines | 654 (17.1) | 21 (14.8) | 2 (11.1) | 0.180 (0.268) | 0.501 | 1.197 [0.708, 2.023] | |
| Sedation within 12/24 of assessment | 304 (8.0) | 8 (5.6) | 0 (0.0) | 0.423 (0.389) | 0.277 | 1.527 [0.712, 3.274] | |
| Substantial change to medication regime | 118 (3.1) | 1 (0.7) | 1 (5.6) | 0.682 (0.727) | 0.348 | 1.978 [0.476, 8.222] | |
| Physiological | Anticoagulant therapy/bleeding disorder | 1650 () | 49 () | 12 (66.7) | 0.124 (0.205) | 0.545 | 1.133 [0.757, 1.694] |
| Diagnosis of osteoporosis | 118 3.1) | 5 (3.5) | 0 (0.0) | − 0.124 (0.447) | 0.782 | 0.884 [0.368, 2.121] | |
| Fragile skin | 1318 (37.2) | 61 (43.0) | 10 (55.6) | − 0.559 (0.214) | 0.001* | 0.572 [0.376, 0.869] |
NB: Patients with risk condition present were set as reference group in the model. *Denotes significant association at 5% level of significance. The reported adjusted odds estimates are also age-gender adjusted.