Falls can be a serious problem in the hospital. They may be caused by:
Hospital staff often do not see patients fall. But falls require attention right away to lessen the risk of injury.
If you are with a patient when they begin to fall:
Stay with the patient and call for help.
If the patient is confused, shaking, or shows signs of weakness, pain, or dizziness:
Once medical staff decides the patient can be moved, you need to choose the best way to move them.
Watch the patient closely after their fall. You may need to check their alertness, their blood pressure and pulse, and perhaps their blood sugar.
Document the fall according to your hospital’s policies.
Geriatric care: Treatment: Fall Prevention and Management. In: Mills JE, ed. Nursing Procedures. 4th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2004:chap 18.
Updated by: David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M. Health Solutions, Ebix, Inc.
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