View in EDS PDF Full Text

Inpatient Falls in Freestanding Children's Hospitals.

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Title: Inpatient Falls in Freestanding Children's Hospitals.
Authors: Jamerson, Patricia A., Graf, Elaine1, Messmer, Patricia R.2, Fields, Heidi W.3, Barton, Sharon, Berger, Anne, Daraiseh, Nancy M.4, Fix, Michele5, Huth, Myra, Latta, Linda6, Smith, Andrea B., Lunbeck, Michelle7
Source: Pediatric Nursing. May/Jun2014, Vol. 40 Issue 3, p127-135. 9p. 4 Charts.
Subject Terms: *Research methodology, *Research, *Children, Accidental fall prevention, Risk factors of falling down, Age distribution, Children's hospitals, Confidence intervals, Epidemiological research, Accidental falls, Length of stay in hospitals, Medical cooperation, Scientific observation, Pediatric nursing, Risk assessment, Statistical sampling, White people, Wounds & injuries, Disease prevalence, Data analysis software, Descriptive statistics, Odds ratio
Geographic Terms: United States
Abstract: Patient falls are considered a significant safety risk, but little evidence regarding the significance of falls in children is available. A multisite, observational study of fall events occurring in pediatric inpatients (younger than 18 years of age) from Child Health Corporation of America member hospitals was conducted to determine the prevalence and significance of falls. Fall prevalence was 0.84 per 1,000 patient days with 48% classified as preventable. Injuries occurred in 32%, but only two falls resulted in an increased length of stay; none resulted in permanent disability or death. Only 47% of the children who fell were identified to be at risk for fall. Alert mechanisms were used in 60% and preventive measures in 23%. These findings suggest that while inpatient pediatric fall rates are lower than those of adults, greater diligence in identification and risk reduction may further reduce the prevalence of falls and the proportion of fall-related injuries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Pediatric Nursing is the property of Jannetti Publications, Inc. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Database: Education Research Complete
Description
Abstract:Patient falls are considered a significant safety risk, but little evidence regarding the significance of falls in children is available. A multisite, observational study of fall events occurring in pediatric inpatients (younger than 18 years of age) from Child Health Corporation of America member hospitals was conducted to determine the prevalence and significance of falls. Fall prevalence was 0.84 per 1,000 patient days with 48% classified as preventable. Injuries occurred in 32%, but only two falls resulted in an increased length of stay; none resulted in permanent disability or death. Only 47% of the children who fell were identified to be at risk for fall. Alert mechanisms were used in 60% and preventive measures in 23%. These findings suggest that while inpatient pediatric fall rates are lower than those of adults, greater diligence in identification and risk reduction may further reduce the prevalence of falls and the proportion of fall-related injuries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
ISSN:00979805