Comparison of falls and non-fall admissions to the emergency department in older adults and evaluation of the Barthel index and the Falls Efficacy Scale International scores

Abstract

Introduction and aim. The aim of this study was to describe the characteristics of patients aged 65 years and older who expe rienced falls and to examine the distribution of the Barthel index (BI) and Falls Efficacy Scale International (FES-I) scores. Material and methods. Participants over 65 years of age who were admitted to the emergency department (ED) between 31.07.2019 and 31.01.2020 and who met the inclusion criteria were included in the study. Characteristics, BI, and FES-I scores of patients admitted to the emergency department for falls and nontraumatic reasons were compared. Results. The study was carried out with 259 participants, 133 in the fall group and 126 in the control group. The mean age was 79±8.3 years in the fall group and 76.3±7.9 years in the control group (p=0.011). In the fall group, 61 (46.2%) were male and 71 (53.8%) were females. The most common trauma after a fall was soft tissue trauma. The FES-I and BI scores were found to be at higher risk in the fall group aged 75-84 years compared to the control group and there was a statistically significant difference between them (p=0.009; p=0.030, respectively). Conclusion. FES-I and BI did not show significant differences between fall and control groups in all age groups. In the 75-84 age group, both scales showed higher values in the fall group. We believe these scales can be used as follow-up tools in screening and preventing fall risks, especially in this age group.