ArticleBMJ open2024
Prevalence of falls in the last weeks of life and relationship between falls, independence and quality of dying in Japan: a large prospective cohort study.
Article in BMJ open, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed.
- Association between social disadvantage and falls in older adults: a longitudinal study.Revista CuidarteArticle
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
9 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectiveThis study aims to determine the frequency of falls and their serious complications in palliative care units (PCUs), as well as explore the complex interplay between falls, independence and quality of dying.
designA prospective cohort study. SETTING AND
participantsThe dying process of patients with advanced cancer in 23 PCUs in Japan. OUTCOME MEASURES: Palliative care specialist physicians recorded whether patients experienced falls, serious complications from falls, activities that led to falls, independence (workability in the last days and use of indwelling urinary catheter) and Good Death Scale as an indicator of quality of dying.
resultsOf the 1633 patients evaluated, 150 patients (9.2%; 95% CI 7.8% to 11%) experienced falls within 30 days prior to death. The patients who fell were mostly men, had Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status 3 on admission, a longer estimated prognosis on admission and delirium during hospitalisation. Serious falls causing fractures or intracranial haemorrhages were rare in five patients (0.3%; 95% CI 0.038% to 0.57%). The most common reason for falls was the need to use the toilet (64.7%). The Good Death Scale and indwelling urinary catheter use were not significantly associated with falls (p=0.34; p=0.34).
conclusionFalls occur in approximately 10% of patients in PCUs, but serious complications are rare. The relationship between falls, independence and quality of dying is complex, that is, a fall may not be necessarily bad, if it is the result of respect for the patient's independence. Healthcare providers need to consider fall prevention while supporting patients' desire to move on their own to maintain independence.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.