ASN's Mission

To create a world without kidney diseases, the ASN Alliance for Kidney Health elevates care by educating and informing, driving breakthroughs and innovation, and advocating for policies that create transformative changes in kidney medicine throughout the world.

learn more

Contact ASN

1401 H St, NW, Ste 900, Washington, DC 20005

email@asn-online.org

202-640-4660

The Latest on X

Kidney Week

Abstract: TH-PO286

Risk Factors and Characterization of Falls in Patients on Hemodialysis: A Multicenter Study

Session Information

Category: Dialysis

  • 801 Dialysis: Hemodialysis and Frequent Dialysis

Authors

  • Chen, Yan-ru, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
  • Han, Huifen, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
  • Gu, Xiaoxia, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
  • Li, Qiuyan, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
  • Ye, Zengchun, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
  • Peng, Hui, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
Background

Hemodialysis (HD) patients have an increased risk of falls, which raises healthcare expenses in addition to morbidity and mortality. The purpose of this study was to assess the risk factors and characterize the features of falls in hemodialysis patients to provide direction for developing prevention strategies.

Methods

820 HD patients from four hemodialysis facilities participated in this multi-center cross-sectional study. Online self-made questionnaires was used to gather general information about HD patients as well as fall characteristics. We analyzed the characteristics of fall patients and employed the multivariate logistic regression model to assess the risk factors of falls.

Results

A total of 820 hemodialysis patients were actually included in the statistics, consisting of 60.1% males (493 patients) and 39.9% females (327 patients), with an average age of 58.5±14.3 years old and a median dialysis vintage of 42 months. A total of 187 patients (22.8%) experienced falls, with an average age of 60.5 ± 14.6 years old. The incidence of falls was 19.7% (97 fallers) in males and 27.5% (90 fallers) in females. 358 falls occurred overall, of which 50.8% happened during daytime activity. 78.8% of falls led to varying degrees of injury, with the most common injury being soft tissue contusion. Falls most often occur in the living room or bedroom of the home. The leading symptoms in hemodialysis patients before falling was dizziness (26.3%) or lower limb weakness (34.4%). The results of multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that age 65 and over (OR=1.699, 95%CI: 1.183-2.439, P=0.004), females (OR=1.505, 95%CI:1.070-2.118, P=0.019), and longer dialysis vintage (OR=1.475, 95%CI:1.224-1.779, P=0.000) were independent risk factors for falls among hemodialysis patients.

Conclusion

In summary, our results showed that the incidence of falls was higher in hemodialysis patients (22.8%), with females having a higher incidence than males. Female gender, age older than 65 years, and longer dialysis vintage are critical risk factors for falls among hemodialysis patients. Future research should explore specific interventions to reduce the risk of falls and improve the overall safety and quality of life for hemodialysis patients.