Are inpatients with cardiac conditions or on diuretic therapy at risk for falls and is there any evidence of interventions to reduce falls in this population?

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PubMed search for falls AND (inpatients OR hospitalization) AND ((drugs AND adverse effects) OR diuretics OR cardiac OR cardiovascular OR heart)

Risk
Several papers report on risk of falling associated with these conditions.
These look at conditions, including cardiac, associated with falls: Belita (2013), Forrest (2012), de Carle (2001), Tutuarima (1997)
These studies report on association of drugs: Williams (2014), de Groot (2013), Butt (2013), Payne (2010), Shuto (2010),  Tanaka (2008), Gales (1995).

Prevention
Belita (2013) describes a project that focused on cardiac-related falls and injuries. Forrest (2012) addresses prevention of falls in patients on a rehabilitation unit, including those with cardiac admission diagnosis.

Williams, Tamara, Marilyn Szekendi, and StephenThomas. “An analysis of patient falls and fall prevention programs across academic medical centers.” Journal of nursing care quality 29.1 (2014):19-29.

de Groot, Maartje, JP van Campen, MA Moek, et al. “The effects of fall-risk-increasing drugs on postural control: a literature review.” Drugs & aging 30.11 (2013):901-920.

Butt, D A, et al. “The risk of falls on initiation of antihypertensive drugs in the elderly.” Osteoporosis international 24.10 (2013):2649-2657.

Belita, Lydia, P Ford, and H Kirkpatrick. “The development of an assessment and intervention falls guide for older hospitalized adults with cardiac conditions.” European journal of cardiovascular nursing 12.3 (2013):302-309.

Payne, Rupert A, et al. “Association between prescribing of cardiovascular and psychotropic medications and hospital admission for falls or fractures.” Drugs & aging 30.4 (2013):247-254.

Forrest, George, “Falls on an inpatient rehabilitation unit: risk assessment and prevention.” Rehabilitation nursing 37.2 (2012):56-61.

Shuto, Hideki, et al. “Medication use as a risk factor for inpatient falls in an acute care hospital: a case-crossover study.” British journal of clinical pharmacology 69.5 (2010):535-542.

Tanaka, Mamoru, et al. “Relationship between the risk of falling and drugs in an academic hospital.” Yakugaku zasshiŒ 128.9 (2008):1355-1361.

de Carle, A J, and R Kohn. “Risk factors for falling in a psychogeriatric unit.” International journal of geriatric psychiatry 16.8 (2001):762-767.

Tutuarima, J A, et al. “Risk factors for falls of hospitalized stroke patients.” Stroke 28.2 (1997):297-301.

Gales B J, and S M Menard. “Relationship between the administration of selected medications and falls in hospitalized elderly patients.” The annals of pharmacotherapy 29.4 (1995):354-358.

Reviewed and updated 4/7/2014 ldt

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