Infections may cause tripping and falling
Don’t blame the rug. A new study shows that tripping and falling may be caused by an infection rather than poor eyesight or things on the floor.
Bloodstream, urinary and respiratory infections are the most common culprits for infection-related falls, according to the Massachusetts General Hospital study. The findings also suggest that while these falls may be more common in the elderly, they shouldn’t be overlooked in younger people: 20% of patients in the study were younger than 65.
Although it’s unclear how many falls are caused by infection overall – other research puts the number between 20 and 45% – it’s clear that many people, including family members, caregivers and even some healthcare providers, don’t recognize the connection. People can fall because the infection may cause low blood pressure – and therefore lightheadedness and dizziness – or because it adds to confusion in older patients with dementia, according to the researchers.
Researchers analyzed 161 patients who went to the emergency room because they fell and were then diagnosed with an infection. Of those, 44.1%had a urinary tract infection, 39.8% had a bloodstream infection, 23% had a respiratory infection and 5.6% had an infection of the heart valve.
The findings suggest that family members, care givers and healthcare providers shouldn’t rush to judgment about the cause of a fall, particularly in an older person, and should consider whether the person was ill or not feeling well before the incident happened to ensure the patient is diagnosed appropriately and can receive timely treatment.
Category: Features, Health alert
