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Worried about
family or friends falling? New
guideline identifies those most at risk
Newswise — A new guideline
developed by the American Academy of
Neurology finds certain neurology patients
are at a high risk of accidental falls and
should be regularly screened to help prevent
the high number of fall-related injuries and
deaths in the United States each year.
The guideline is published
in the February 5, 2008, issue of
Neurology®, the medical journal of the
American Academy of Neurology.
“There is a lack of
awareness among doctors and patients in
recognizing and preventing falls, which can
lead to hip fractures, head injury,
hospitalization and in some cases death,”
said lead guideline author David J. Thurman,
MD, MPH, with the National Center for
Chronic Disease Prevention and Health
Promotion, a division of the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta,
GA, and member of the American Academy of
Neurology.
Each year, unintentional
falls in the United States account for more
than 16,000 deaths and 1.8 million emergency
room visits.
To develop the guideline,
the authors analyzed all available
scientific studies on the topic, and found
people with stroke, dementia, and walking
and balance disorders are at the highest
risk of falling.
Having fallen in the past
year also strongly predicts that a person
will fall again. People with Parkinson’s
disease, peripheral neuropathy, weakness in
the legs or feet, and substantial vision
loss are also likely to fall.
“People need to know that
falls are preventable and there are simple
tests to determine if you’re at risk of
falling,” said Thurman.
“Oftentimes the doctor may
not ask about falls and the patient may not
mention falls. But, it’s important to
discuss falls since some people can face
serious life consequences after falling,
such as disability and loss of independence,
which may be averted only through fall
prevention.”
Thurman says identifying
people at high risk of falling is a critical
step in preventing future falls.
“This guideline recommends
doctors routinely ask patients about falls
and use screening measures, such as the
Get-Up-and-Go Test or Timed-Up-and-Go Test,
and mobility tests, to determine if a person
is likely to fall and needs prevention help,
such as making their home safer or beginning
a regular exercise program.”
Thurman says routinely
asking patients about falls will ultimately
help reduce fall-related injuries and deaths
and lead to better quality of life for
patients at risk.
The American Academy of
Neurology, an association of more than
20,000 neurologists and neuroscience
professionals, is dedicated to improving
patient care through education and research.
A neurologist is a doctor
with specialized training in diagnosing,
treating and managing disorders of the brain
and nervous system such as stroke,
Alzheimer’s disease, epilepsy, Parkinson
disease, and multiple sclerosis.
For more information about
the American Academy of Neurology, visit
http://www.aan.com.
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