• A J de Carle and R Kohn.
• Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Brown University, 345 Blackstone Boulevard, Providence, RI 02906, USA.
• Int J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2001 Aug 1; 16 (8): 762-7.

ObjectiveTo identify risk factors associated with falls in a psychogeriatric inpatient population.DesignRetrospective cohort study.SettingA psychogeriatric inpatient unit in a Brown University affiliated psychiatric hospital.ParticipantsA total of 1834 men and women who represented all admissions to the psychogeriatric inpatient unit between January 1992 and December 1995.ResultsOver the study period a total of 175 falls were recorded, giving a fall rate of 9.5%. Using a logistic regression model, six variables were found to be independently associated with an increased risk of falling: female gender, electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), mood stabilizers, cardiac arrhythmias, Parkinson's syndrome and dementias. Falls and ECT were associated with longer hospital stay, when adjusted for confounders including ECT.ConclusionsThese findings support previous results and identify ECT as a possible risk factor for falling in a hospital setting.Copyright 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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