Patient Falls

What is a fall?

At UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, our medical definition of a “fall” is an event that results in a person coming to rest inadvertently on the ground, floor, or other lower level in a medical setting.

How do falls happen?

Falls can be prevented through proper communication, a multidisciplinary approach, and sound judgment. The hospital is a unique environment with floors, equipment, and furniture that patients may not be used to. The change in surroundings, as well as medications that may affect perception, put them at risk for slipping and falling.

How do we prevent patients from falling?

There are several precautions we take at Children’s to prevent falling:

  • Our patients wear non-skid slippers.
  • We keep side rails in an upright position.
  • A healthcare worker provides assistance to patients when getting in and out of bed.
  • We implement a falls prevention plan.
  • Patients at risk for falls will not be left unattended in the bathroom

How often do patients at Children’s Hospital have a fall?

FallsOn average, we see one fall that results in serious injury for every 65,546 days patients are in our hospital.