Accidental fall: Difference between revisions
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===Falls in the elderly=== | ===Falls in the elderly=== | ||
At least a third of persons 65 aged years or more fall each year, with 10% leading to injury.<ref name="pmid12510042">{{cite journal |author=Tinetti ME |title=Clinical practice. Preventing falls in elderly persons |journal=N. Engl. J. Med. |volume=348 |issue=1 |pages=42–9 |year=2003 |pmid=12510042 |doi=10.1056/NEJMcp020719}}</ref> | |||
====Causes==== | ====Causes==== | ||
Buckling, or sudden giving way, of the knees is associated with [[osteoarthritis]] of the knees and [[quadriceps]] muscle weakness.<ref name="pmid17938391">{{cite journal |author=Felson DT, Niu J, McClennan C, ''et al'' |title=Knee buckling: prevalence, risk factors, and associated limitations in function |journal=Ann. Intern. Med. |volume=147 |issue=8 |pages=534–40 |year=2007 |pmid=17938391 |doi=|url=http://www.annals.org/cgi/content/full/147/8/534}}</ref> | Buckling, or sudden giving way, of the knees is associated with [[osteoarthritis]] of the knees and [[quadriceps]] muscle weakness.<ref name="pmid17938391">{{cite journal |author=Felson DT, Niu J, McClennan C, ''et al'' |title=Knee buckling: prevalence, risk factors, and associated limitations in function |journal=Ann. Intern. Med. |volume=147 |issue=8 |pages=534–40 |year=2007 |pmid=17938391 |doi=|url=http://www.annals.org/cgi/content/full/147/8/534}}</ref> | ||
Medications, especially psychotropic<ref name="pmid9920227">{{cite journal |author=Leipzig RM, Cumming RG, Tinetti ME |title=Drugs and falls in older people: a systematic review and meta-analysis: I. Psychotropic drugs |journal=Journal of the American Geriatrics Society |volume=47 |issue=1 |pages=30–9 |year=1999 |pmid=9920227 |doi=}}</ref> and cardiac<ref name="pmid9920228">{{cite journal |author=Leipzig RM, Cumming RG, Tinetti ME |title=Drugs and falls in older people: a systematic review and meta-analysis: II. Cardiac and analgesic drugs |journal=Journal of the American Geriatrics Society |volume=47 |issue=1 |pages=40–50 |year=1999 |pmid=9920228 |doi=}}</ref> are associated with increased risk of falling. | |||
====Prevention==== | ====Prevention==== | ||
Revision as of 07:11, 17 October 2007
An accidental fall is defined as a fall "due to slipping or tripping which result in injury".[1]
Falls in the elderly
At least a third of persons 65 aged years or more fall each year, with 10% leading to injury.[2]
Causes
Buckling, or sudden giving way, of the knees is associated with osteoarthritis of the knees and quadriceps muscle weakness.[3]
Medications, especially psychotropic[4] and cardiac[5] are associated with increased risk of falling.
Prevention
One randomized controlled trial reported that tai chi, one hour per week for 16 weeks, can prevent falls in patients aged 60 or more.[6]
A meta-analysis by the Cochrane Collaboration found benefit among cummunity-dwelling persons from:[7]
- Individually targeted exercise or physical therapy consisting of strength training, balance, and walking.
- Home safety interventions.
- Multidisciplinary, multifactorial, health, or environmental risk-factor screening or intervention programs.
According to a subsequent meta-analysis by the Cochrane Collaboration, the role of modifying the home environment for the reduction of injuries has not been established.[8]
References
- ↑ National Library of Medicine. Accidental Falls. Retrieved on 2007-10-17.
- ↑ Tinetti ME (2003). "Clinical practice. Preventing falls in elderly persons". N. Engl. J. Med. 348 (1): 42–9. DOI:10.1056/NEJMcp020719. PMID 12510042. Research Blogging.
- ↑ Felson DT, Niu J, McClennan C, et al (2007). "Knee buckling: prevalence, risk factors, and associated limitations in function". Ann. Intern. Med. 147 (8): 534–40. PMID 17938391. [e]
- ↑ Leipzig RM, Cumming RG, Tinetti ME (1999). "Drugs and falls in older people: a systematic review and meta-analysis: I. Psychotropic drugs". Journal of the American Geriatrics Society 47 (1): 30–9. PMID 9920227. [e]
- ↑ Leipzig RM, Cumming RG, Tinetti ME (1999). "Drugs and falls in older people: a systematic review and meta-analysis: II. Cardiac and analgesic drugs". Journal of the American Geriatrics Society 47 (1): 40–50. PMID 9920228. [e]
- ↑ Voukelatos A, Cumming RG, Lord SR, Rissel C (2007). "A randomized, controlled trial of tai chi for the prevention of falls: the Central Sydney tai chi trial". Journal of the American Geriatrics Society 55 (8): 1185–91. DOI:10.1111/j.1532-5415.2007.01244.x. PMID 17661956. Research Blogging.
- ↑ Gillespie LD, Gillespie WJ, Robertson MC, Lamb SE, Cumming RG, Rowe BH (2003). "Interventions for preventing falls in elderly people". Cochrane database of systematic reviews (Online) (4): CD000340. DOI:10.1002/14651858.CD000340. PMID 14583918. Research Blogging. [ACP Journal Club]
- ↑ Lyons RA, John A, Brophy S, et al (2006). "Modification of the home environment for the reduction of injuries". Cochrane database of systematic reviews (Online) (4): CD003600. DOI:10.1002/14651858.CD003600.pub2. PMID 17054179. Research Blogging.