02428nas a2200325   4500000000100000008004100001653001100042653000900053653001900062653002100081653002000102653003200122653002100154653002700175653003400202653001700236100002600253700001800279700001400297700001200311700001500323700001500338700001500353245011900368250001500487300001100502490000800513520153500521020004602056       2008                            d10aHumans10aAged10aLength of Stay10aCluster Analysis10aNew South Wales10aPhysical Therapy Modalities10aAccidental Falls10aPrevention and control10astatistics and numerical data10aNursing Care1 aSherrington Catherine1 aNaganathan V.1 aVogler C.1 aLord S.1 aCumming R.1 aSimpson J.1 aCameron I.00aCluster randomised trial of a targeted multifactorial intervention to prevent falls among older people in hospital  a2008/03/12  a758-600 v3363 a<p>
OBJECTIVE: To determine the efficacy of a targeted multifactorial falls prevention programme in elderly care wards with relatively short lengths of stay. DESIGN: Cluster randomised trial. SETTING: 24 elderly care wards in 12 hospitals in Sydney, Australia. PARTICIPANTS: 3999 patients, mean age 79 years, with a median hospital stay of seven days. INTERVENTIONS: A nurse and physiotherapist each worked for 25 hours a week for three months in all intervention wards. They provided a targeted multifactorial intervention that included a risk assessment of falls, staff and patient education, drug review, modification of bedside and ward environments, an exercise programme, and alarms for selected patients. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Falls during hospital stay. RESULTS: Intervention and control wards were similar at baseline for previous rates of falls and individual patient characteristics. Overall, 381 falls occurred during the study. No difference was found in fall rates during follow-up between intervention and control wards: respectively, 9.26 falls per 1000 bed days and 9.20 falls per 1000 bed days (P=0.96). The incidence rate ratio adjusted for individual lengths of stay and previous fall rates in the ward was 0.96 (95% confidence interval 0.72 to 1.28). CONCLUSION: A targeted multifactorial falls prevention programme was not effective among older people in hospital wards with relatively short lengths of stay. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ACTRNO 12605000467639.
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