FALL-RELATED INJURIES IN ANTICOAGULATED STROKE PATIENTS DURING INPATIENT REHABILITATION

Objective: To compare the frequency and severity of fall-related injur ies in anticoagulated patients undergoing rehabilitation after stroke to nonanticoagulated stroke patients undergoing rehabilitation, Design : Retrospective chart review, Setting: Free-standing rehabilitation ho spital, Patients: 264 patients who sustained falls while undergoing in tensive inpatient rehabilitation after stroke, Measurements: Injuries, categorized as minor (abrasions and bruises) or major (intracranial h emorrhage, fracture, major bleeding), Main Results: A total of 400 fal ls in 264 patients undergoing inpatient stroke rehabilitation were rev iewed, One hundred thirty-one falls were sustained by 93 patients rece iving anticoagulation, whereas 269 falls were sustained by 175 patient s not receiving anticoagulation, In both the anticoagulation group and the control (nonanticoagulated) group, approximately one in five fall s resulted in minor injuries (abrasions or bruises), Three fractures o ccurred, but no major bleeding events or intracranial hemorrhage occur red in either group, Conclusions: The risk for minor injury secondary to fall is comparable between the two groups, and the risk is low in t his setting for hemorrhagic injuries in stroke patients falling while receiving anticoagulation. (C) 1995 by the American Congress of Rehabi litation Medicine and the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Re habilitation