Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Häufigkeit, Umstände und Konsequenzen von Stürzen institutionalisierter Betagter; eine Pilotstudie

  • Published:
Sozial- und Präventivmedizin/Social and Preventive Medicine

Zusammenfassung

Stürze bei Betagten kommen oft vor und stellen bezüglich Ursachen und Konsequenzen ein noch zu wenig bekanntes, medizinisches Problem dar. Die vorliegende, epidemiologische Pilotstudie beschreibt am Beispiel von 70 Pensionären eines Altersheimes der Stadt Zürich Häufigkeit, Umstände und Konsequenzen von Stürzen. Ueber die Hälfte der Betagten des Heimes ist innert Jahresfrist mindestens einmal gestürzt und ein Drittel erlitt sogar 3 oder mehr Stürze. Die von den Betagten angegebenen Gründe des Sturzes waren u.a. Schwindel, Stolpern, Rutschen. Ein Drittel der Gestürzten konnte keine Angabe zum Grund des Sturzes machen. Jeder fünfte Sturz führte zu Verletzung oder Fraktur, und jeder zehnte zu sturzbedingten Schmerzen. Die sturzbedingte allgemeine Morbidität betrug 35,3%.

Résumé

Chez les personnes âgées, les chutes sont fréquentes et représentent, en termes de causes et de conséquences, un problème médical encore sous-estimé. Cette étude épidémiologique décrit la situation dans un établissement médico-social de 79 lits à Zurich. La moitié des résidents sont tombés au moins une fois durant la période de l'étude (une année), et un tiers d'entre eux sont tombés trois fois ou plus. Les troubles de l'équilibre, le trébuchement et la glissade étaient les principales raisons de chute. Toutefois, un tiers des chuteurs ne pouvaient fournir une raison précise à leur chute. Un cinquième des chutes conduisait à une blessure ou à une fracture, et un dixième d'entre elles conduisait à une douleur. La morbidité liée aux chutes atteignait ainsi 35,3%.

Summary

Falls are frequent among elderly people, and are a still-underestimated medical problem with respect to causes and consequences. The present epidemiological study describes the experience from a 79-bed nursing home in the city of Zürich, regarding frequency, circumstances and consequences of falls. Over half of residents of the studied nursing home fell at least once during the study period of one year, and one third even suffered 3 or more falls. Dizziness, tripping and slipping were among the reasons given for falling. However, in one third of the cases the person involved was not able to specify the cause of the fall. Every fifth falled to injury or fracture, and every tenth fall to fall-related pain. The fall-related overall morbidity therefore amounted to 35.3%.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Literaturverzeichnis

  1. Baker SP, Hall Harvey A. Fall injuries in the elderly. Clinics in Geriatric Med 1985;1: 501–512.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Tinetti ME, Speechley M. Prevention of falls among the elderly. N Engl J Med 1989;320: 1055–1059.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Gass R. Osteoporose: Prävention und soziale Kosten. Forschung und Dokumentation Nr. 2 des ISPM der Universität Zürich, 1990; Tabelle 7.

  4. Hindmarsh JJ, Harvey Estes E. Falls in Older Persons. Causes and Interventions. Arch Intern Med 1989;149: 2217–2222.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Perry BC. Falls among the Elderly: A Review of the Methods and Conclusions of Epidemiological Studies. J Am Geriatr Soc 1982;30: 367–371.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Nickens H. Intrinsic Factors in Falling Among the Elderly. Arch Intern Med 1985;145: 1089–1093.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Rubenstein LZ, Robbins AS, Schulman BL et al. Falls and Instability in the Elderly. J Am Geriatr Soc 1988;36: 266–278.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Tinetti ME, Williams JF, Mayewski R. Fall Risk Index for Elderly Patients Based on Number of Chronic Disabilities. Am J Med 1986;80: 429–434.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Blake AJ, Morgan K, Bendell MJ et al. Falls by Elderly People at Home: Prevalence and Associated Factors. Age Ageing 1988;17: 365–372

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Prudham D, Evans JG. Factors Associated with falls in the elderly: A Community Study. Age Ageing 1981;10: 141–146.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Rubenstein LZ, Robbins AS, Josephon KR et al. The Value of Assessing Falls in an Elderly Population. A Randomized Clinical Trial. Ann Int Med 1990;113: 308–316.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Murphy J, Isaacs B. The Post-Fall Syndrome. A Study of 36 Elderly Patients. Geontology 1982;28: 265–270.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Overstall RW, Exton-Smith AN, Imms FJ et al. Falls in the elderly related to postural imabalance. Brit Med J 1977;1: 261–264.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Wickham C, Cooper C, Margetts BM et al. Muscle Strength, Activity, Housing and the Risk of Falls in Elderly People. Age Ageing 1989;18: 47–51.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Tinetti ME. Instability and Falling in Elderly Patients. Seminars in Neurology 1989;9: 39–45.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Robbins AS, Rubenstein LZ, Josephson KR et al., Predictors of Falls Among Elderly People. Results of two Population-Based Studies. Arch Intern Med 1989;149: 1628–1633.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Tinetti ME, Speechley M, Ginter SF Risk Factors for Falls Among Elderly Persons Living in the Community. N Engl J Med 1988;319: 1701–1707.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Nevitt MC, Cummings SR, Kidd S et al. Risk Factors for Recurrent Nonsyncopal Falls. A Prospective Study. JAMA 1989;261: 2663–2668.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Campbell AJ, Borrie MJ, Spears GF Risk Factors for Falls in a Community-Based Prospective Study of People 70 Years and Older. J Gerontol 1989;44: M112–117.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Kennedy TE, Coppard LC (editors). The Prevention of Falls in Later Life. Dan Med Bulletin 1987;34: 1–24 (Supp. 4).

  21. Wild D, Nayak USL, Isaacs B. How dangerous are falls in old people at home. Brit Med J 1981;282: 266–268.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Loew F, Senderska V. Les chutes a domicile. Med et Hyg 1982;40: 4042–4046.

    Google Scholar 

  23. Gryfe CI, Amies A, Ashley MJ. A Longitudinal Study of Falls in an Elderly Population. I. Incidence and Morbidity. Age Ageing 1977;6: 201–210.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Perry BC. Falls Among the Elderly Living in High-Rise Apartmencs, J Fam Prac 1982;14: 1069–1073.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Sorock GS, Shimkin EE. Benzodiazepine Sedatives and the Risk of Falling in a Community-Dwelling Elderly Cohort. Arch Intern Med 1988;148: 2441–2444.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Ray WA, Griffin MR, Downey W. Benzodiazepines of Long and Short Elimination Half-life and the Risk of Hip Fracture. JAMA 1989;262: 3303–3307.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Ray WA, Griffin MR, Schaffner W. et al. Psychotropic Drug Use and Risk of Hip Fracture. N Engl J Med 1987;316: 363–369.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Fine N. An analysis of 277 falls in hospital. Georontol Clin 1951;1: 292.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. Ashley MJ, Gryfe CI, Amies A. A Longitudinal Study of Falls in an Elderly Population. II. Some Circumstances of Falling. Age Ageing 1977;6: 211–220.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Sloane Ph, Blazer D, George LK. Dizziness in a Community Elderly Population. J Am Geriatr Soc 1989;37: 101–108.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  31. Rubenstein LZ, Robbins AS. Falls in the elderly: A clinical perspective. Geriatrics 1984;39: 67–78.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institut für Sozial- und Präventivmedizin der Universität Zürich, Sumatrastrasse 30, CH-8006, Zürich, Switzerland

    Michal Gostynski

Authors
  1. Michal Gostynski
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Gostynski, M. Häufigkeit, Umstände und Konsequenzen von Stürzen institutionalisierter Betagter; eine Pilotstudie. Soz Präventivmed 36, 341–345 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01368742

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01368742

Search

Navigation