TITLE:
Assessment of Falls among the Elderly in the Emergency Department of the Idrissa Pouye General Hospital in Dakar, Senegal: A Cohort of 100 Cases
AUTHORS:
Massamba Bâ, Assane Sall, Babou Pascal Tienin, Rokhaya Djajheté, Sawdatou Nènè Diouf, Dalahata Bâ, Mamadou Coumé
KEYWORDS:
Falls, Elderly People, Senegal
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Biosciences and Medicines,
Vol.11 No.12,
December
4,
2023
ABSTRACT: Background: Falls in the elderly are a global public health problem with serious medical and socio-economic consequences, especially in low and middle-income countries. The aim of this study was to describe the characteristics of falls among the elderly in trauma units in Senegal. Materials and Methods: This was a descriptive, prospective study from April 20, 2022 to October 30, 2022 among people aged at least 60 and admitted to the surgical emergency department of Idrissa Pouye Hospital in Dakar following a fall. Socio-demographic, clinical, therapeutic and evolutionary characteristics were collected and analyzed using Sphinx Plus 2 and Excel 2019 for Windows software. Results: Out of 730 elderly people seen during this period, 100 met the criteria, representing a prevalence of 13.69%. The average consultation time was 3.25 +/? 4 days. The average age was 73 +/? 8.43 years, with women predominating (74%). Medical expenses were mainly covered by the family (73%). Most falls occurred during the day (68%), at home (82%), especially in the bedroom (30%), with stumbling (32%) as the main mechanism. The majority of patients (86%) spent less than 30 minutes on the floor. Predisposing factors were dominated by visual disorders (56%) and precipitating factors were mainly environmental (62%). Geriatric syndromes were dominated by frailty (22%). Complications were dominated by fractures (86%), and almost half (47%) had lost their autonomy for post-fall Activities Daily Living (ADL). Prescription medication was almost systematic (98%), dominated by analgesics (98%). Surgery was indicated in 58% of patients. The average waiting time for surgery was 25.36 +/? 19 days. A death rate of 1% was recorded in the emergency department. Conclusion: Falls in the elderly are a frequent occurrence in traumatological emergencies, with etiological factors that are often multiple and interrelated, leading to significant morbidity. Raising awareness among people at risk and setting up an orthogeriatric service would help prevent falls and optimize care in the short and long term.