CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va.—Hemodialysis (HD) patients who fall once or more have a higher risk of hospitalizations and mortality, according to researchers at the University of Virginia Health System.
During a presentation at the 29th Annual Dialysis Conference last month, UVA nephrologists Emaad Abdel-Rahman, MD, and Rasheed A. Balogun, MD, discussed the preliminary results of a 3-year study of 76 HD patients. Findings showed that the risk of both hospitalizations and mortality increased twofold for dialysis patients who fell once during the study period and more than tripled for those who had recurrent falls.
"Falls are highly prevalent among dialysis patients because many develop bone and muscle weakness and experience circulatory changes," said Balogun, study leader and associate professor of clinical internal medicine. Because falling and mortality are linked, Balogun recommended that dialysis centers routinely screen patients for falls and emphasize efforts to minimize fall recurrence.
