Falls on an inpatient rehabilitation spinal injuries unit: the characteristics, circumstances, and consequences

Falls during hospitalization can increase costs and have negative physical and psychological effects on patients. People with spinal cord injuries are at higher risk due to motor and sensory changes, especially during rehabilitation. Research on falls in the SCI population has increased over the past 10 years, but mostly focuses on people living in the community. Understanding the circumstances of falls during SCI rehabilitation can inform targeted prevention programs. This study aimed to describe the nature of falls and fallers in inpatient SCI rehabilitation, and identify factors associated with recurrent falls and consequential falls.

• 1
  Nearly one quarter of spinal injuries unit inpatients experienced a fall, and almost a third of those experienced recurrent falls.
• 2
  Older age and female gender were significant risk factors for falls with consequences.
• 3
  Falls occurring on Sundays were more likely to have consequences, while falls during transfers were less likely to be consequential.