Class III obese patients: the effect of gait and immobility on patient falls

Class III obese patients: the effect of gait and immobility on patient falls

Collection:
Health Policy and Services Research
Series Title(s):
Pennsylvania patient safety advisory
Author(s):
Gardner, Lea Anne, author
Pagano, Maryann, author
Contributor(s):
Pennsylvania. Patient Safety Authority, issuing body.
Institute for Safe Medication Practices, issuing body.
ECRI (Organization), issuing body.
Publication:
[Harrisburg, Pa.] : Pennsylvania Patient Safety Authority, [2013]
Language(s):
English
Format:
Text
Subject(s):
Accidental Falls -- prevention & control
Accidental Falls -- statistics & numerical data
Gait
Mobility Limitation
Obesity -- complications
Pennsylvania
United States
Genre(s):
Technical Report
Abstract:
Gait disturbances and immobility are risk factors that are highly correlated with a patient's risk for a fall. A query of five years of event reports to the Pennsylvania Patient Safety Authority's Pennsylvania Patient Safety Reporting System (PA-PSRS) found that of the class III obese patients who had mobility issues and fell, 7% of these falls were harmful enough to be classified as Serious Events (compared with 3% in the overall PA-PSRS population in 2011). Gait disturbances were identified in 68% of the reports of class III obese patients who fell. Subsequent need for lift teams or lift equipment use following a fall was reported in 64% of the reports of class III obese patients who fell. Targeted falls risk assessment, implementation of falls prevention strategies, and lift teams and lift equipment are essential items to assist in keeping class III obese patients safe when transferring, turning, or ambulating.
Copyright:
Reproduced with permission of the copyright holder. Further use of the material is subject to CC BY-NC-ND license. (More information)
Extent:
1 online resource (1 PDF file (pages 96-98)).
NLM Unique ID:
101617004 (See catalog record)
Permanent Link:
http://resource.nlm.nih.gov/101617004