Darcy K McMaughan Moudouni1, Charles D Phillips. 1. Texas A&M Health Science Center, School of Rural Public Health, Department of Health Policy and Management, Program in Aging, Disability, and Long-Term Care Policy.
Abstract
PURPOSE OF THE STUDY: To estimate the odds of death associated with documented unintentional falls and acute care hospitalization among older adults in the United States. DESIGN AND METHOD: Data were abstracted from the 2005 Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) and odds of death were modeled using logistic regression. RESULTS: The age 65 and older fall rate per 1,000 discharges was 53.0 while the mortality rate for those who fell was 33.2. Older-old (odds ration [OR] = 2.93; confidence interval [CI] = [2.50, 3.43]), men (OR = 1.64, CI = [1.54, 1.75]), and non-White (OR = 1.09; CI = [1.01, 1.19]) had higher odds of death compared to younger-old, women, and Whites. Additional comorbidity (OR = 3.41, CI = [3.05, 3.82]), dehydration (OR = 1.14; CI = [1.05, 1.25]) and intracranial fractures (OR = 4.46; CI = [4.02, 4.95]) resulted in greater odds of death. IMPLICATIONS: Among older adults who experienced a fall and hospitalization, odds of mortality appear influenced by factors beyond injury severity related to falling. Additional research is necessary to delineate the mechanisms behind these phenomena to inform the public about falls-prevention programs.
PURPOSE OF THE STUDY: To estimate the odds of death associated with documented unintentional falls and acute care hospitalization among older adults in the United States. DESIGN AND METHOD: Data were abstracted from the 2005 Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) and odds of death were modeled using logistic regression. RESULTS: The age 65 and older fall rate per 1,000 discharges was 53.0 while the mortality rate for those who fell was 33.2. Older-old (odds ration [OR] = 2.93; confidence interval [CI] = [2.50, 3.43]), men (OR = 1.64, CI = [1.54, 1.75]), and non-White (OR = 1.09; CI = [1.01, 1.19]) had higher odds of death compared to younger-old, women, and Whites. Additional comorbidity (OR = 3.41, CI = [3.05, 3.82]), dehydration (OR = 1.14; CI = [1.05, 1.25]) and intracranial fractures (OR = 4.46; CI = [4.02, 4.95]) resulted in greater odds of death. IMPLICATIONS: Among older adults who experienced a fall and hospitalization, odds of mortality appear influenced by factors beyond injury severity related to falling. Additional research is necessary to delineate the mechanisms behind these phenomena to inform the public about falls-prevention programs.
Entities:
Keywords:
HCUP; NIS; Older adults; fall mortality; hospitalization
Authors: Matthew Gordon Crowson; Jason A Beyea; Justin Cottrell; Faisal Karmali; Giovanni Lampasona; James E Saunders; Richard F Lewis Journal: BMC Public Health Date: 2022-02-16 Impact factor: 4.135