Characteristics of Accidental Falls in the Patients with Chronic Kidney Diseases: A 14-Year Retrospective Study and Review

Abstract

BackgroundAccidental falls pose a high-risk that should not be overlooked in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), as they can result in significant injury or even fatality. This study aimed to investigate the characteristics of CKD patients with fall injuries during hospitalization, discuss potential mechanisms, and to provide an overview of existing prevention methods.MethodsFalls of all patients in our Nephrology ward from 2009 to 2022 were recorded and counted. 48 patients were enrolled. Patient characteristics, injury distribution, cause of fall injury, relevant blood biochemical indicators, and recovery conditions were counted.ResultsThere were 22,053 hospitalized patients during the study period, with a fall rate of approximately 0.218%. Patients are prone to involuntary falls due to muscle weakness and confusion during nighttime and early morning activities. Injuries are mainly to the head and there is a risk of serious injury and fracture. CKD is associated with anemia, hypertension, water-electrolytes imbalance and secondary hyperparathyroidism. Blood tests showed that patients commonly had anemia, malnutrition, low immunity, as well as abnormal muscle and neuromodulatory ion levels, such as low calcium, low potassium and high phosphorus. Moreover, Patients usually have low blood pressure control ability.ConclusionLong-term CKD may lead to subjective dysfunction and motor dysfunction by inducing anemia, malnutrition, water-electrolytes imbalance, and blood pressure control ability, thus making patients prone to falls. This study has important implications for hospital ward safety management and fall prevention in CKD patients.