Patients with unexplained falls (n = 34) | |
Age, years (SD) | 76.8 (9) (range 56 to 89), median 77.5 |
Sex | |
Female | 27 (79%) |
Male | 7 (21%) |
Mean Mini-Mental State Examination (SD) (median) | 27 (2.5) (27) |
Mean no falls in 6 months | 7 (median 6) (range 3 to 40) |
Mean symptom duration | 13 months (median 9) (range 5 to 60) |
Mean no episodes ever (SD) | 13 (12.8) (median 8) (range 3 to 50) |
Hospital admissions/A&E attendances* | 16 (47%) |
Fractures* | 8 (24%) |
Soft-tissue injuries* | 14 (41%) |
Requiring medical attention | 9 (26%) |
Facial bruising | 5 (15%) |
Medications | |
Polypharmacy | 7 (20%) |
Cardiovascular | 11 (32%) |
Psychoactive | 4 (12%) |
None | 6 (18%) |
Ischaemic heart disease | 8 (24%) |
Hypertension | 5 (15%) |
Osteoarthritis | 9 (26%) |
Stroke | 3 (9%) |
Dementia | 3 (9%) |
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease | 8 (24%) |
Type II diabetes | 3 (9%) |
*Secondary to falls/syncope; polypharmacy: four or more prescribed drugs.