In-Hospital Mortality and Unintentional Falls Among Older Adults in the United States

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 logi...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of applied gerontology 2013-12, Vol.32 (8), p.923-935
Main Authors: Moudouni, Darcy K. McMaughan, Phillips, Charles D.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Accidental Falls - statistics & numerical data
Age Distribution
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Comorbidity
Continental Population Groups - statistics & numerical data
Databases, Factual
Death
Elderly
Falls
Female
Hospital Mortality
Hospitalization
Humans
Injuries
Male
Mortality
Mortality Rates
Older people
Regression analysis
Sex Distribution
Skull Fractures - mortality
United States - epidemiology
United States of America
Whites
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Summary: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.
ISSN:0733-4648
1552-4523
DOI:10.1177/0733464812445615