Incidence And Risk Factors Of In-Hospital Falls Among Adults With Ischemic Heart Disease: A Retrospective Analysis Using The NIS Database

Background : Falls are frequent in hospitals and can lead to various complications, particularly among vulnerable populations such as those with ischemic heart disease (IHD). Our study aimed to explore the incidence and risk factors of IFs among adults with IHD using the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) database. Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted using the NIS database covering 2010 to 2019. Patients diagnosed with IHD were included. The recruited cases were categorized into two groups based on the occurrence of IFs. The study analyzed patient demographics, hospital characteristics, length of stay, total hospitalization charges, in-hospital mortality, comorbidities, and medical complications. Results: A total of 13,162,166 patients with IHD were identified from the NIS database. IFs following IHD occurred in 687,712 cases, with an overall incidence of 5.23%, showing a gradual annual increase from 4.3% to 6.2%. Patients who suffered from IFs were 8 years older, 10.3% more likely to be female, 10.3% less likely through elective admissions, and 1.7% more likely to be admitted to medium or large hospitals compared to those without IFs (P < 0.0001). Furthermore, the occurrence of IFs after IHD was linked to increased length of stay, higher total charges, and elevated in-hospital mortality rates. Multivariate logistic regression analysis identified independent risk factors for IFs after IHD, including older age, female gender, teaching hospital status, medium to large hospital size, multiple comorbidities (n ≥ 3), location in the South or West, visual and hearing impairments, dementia, frailty, AIDS, alcohol abuse, coagulopathy, depression, hypertension, neurological disorders, paralysis, psychoses, valvular disease, arrhythmia, cerebrovascular event, infection, acute renal failure, and blood transfusion. Conclusions: As the incidence of IHD and falls rises, investigating the risk factors of IFs after IHD is essential for effective management and improved outcomes.