The Prevalence and Risk Factors of Fall of the Patients Applying to the Department of Neurology in Erciyes University Medical Faculty

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To study the prevalence of fall and risk factors of the patients with neurological illnesses who applied to the polyclinic of the Department of Neurology in Erciyes University.

METHODS: We studied 198 cases diagnosed as having a neurological illness for more than a year, from the point of a story of falling and its occurence. The patients were questioned whether they fell once or more in the last 12 years. Each patient was given an assessment test of Mini-Mental Status In ventory, Beck Depression Assessment, Tinetti Balance and Walking Test and determined whether they used an auxillary tool for walking.

RESULTS: 90 (45%) of the patients fell down once or more in the last 12 months. 33% of those who fell used a tool for walking. Peripheral traumas depending on falls were 33%. While mini-mental test scoresbetween those who fell and who didn't were not different (p>0.05), there was a statistically significant difference between the groups in respect to the assessments of age, Tinetti test, auxillary tools for walking and depression (p<0.05). In neurological illnesses the group who fell the most was those who had stroke (25%) and multiple sclerosis (20%).

CONCLUSION: The falls in neurological illnesses are related to way of walking, faulty balance and not using a suitable auxillary tool for walking. It may be effective to add treatment programmes related to determined risk factors in neurological illnesses, especially in rehabilitation treatment.