Risk factors of fall-related injury among psychiatric inpatients: A 6-year retrospective case-control study.

Purpose: This study is to explore the risk factors of injurious falls among hospitalized patients at psychiatric units in a medical center of southern Taiwan. Methods: This retrospective matched case-control study selected patients who were hospitalized in psychiatric units and had at least one fall event from 2010 to 2015. A total of 352 cases were reviewed using chart audit and data were analyzed using a logistic regression. Results: The risk factors of injurious falls among psychiatric inpatients were as follow: the number of falls during hospitalization (OR=1.58 - 95% CI = 1.22-2.03), non-cancer diagnosis (OR=9.12 - 95% CI = 2.72-30.60), having an acute infection (OR=2.11 - 95% CI=1.12-3.97), sleep disturbance in nursing record (OR=3.29 - 95% CI=1.98-5.46), without providing fall-preventive education (OR=17.35 - 95% CI=1.55-194.60), and case in handover report (OR=4.34 - 95% CI=1.49-12.59). Conclusion: The results suggested that nurses should give an individualized nursing care for preventing the occurrences of injurious falls for the following conditions: fall history, having acute infections, having sleep disorders and case in handover report. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]