BEHAVIOR OF HOSPITALIZATIONS DUE TO FALLS AND HOSPITAL FALL-TO-HOLDER RATE IN ELDERLY IN BAHIA – BRAZIL

Abstract

This article sought to evaluate the behavior of hospitalizations due to falls and the hospital fatality rate among elderly people in Bahia. This is a descriptive study using data from the Hospital Information System of the Unified Health System of patients aged 60 or over who were hospitalized between 2011 and 2023. The number of hospitalizations and deaths and the hospital fatality rate were obtained by year and age group. 80,502 hospitalizations due to falls were recorded in Bahia, with a 3,759% increase in the hospitalization rate for all age groups. Most hospitalizations occurred in elderly women, aged 60 to 69, with brown race/skin color, in the East macro-region, in public institutions, for emergency care and for falls from another level. Of these hospitalizations, 4,041 resulted in deaths, with a higher proportion (50.3%) and greater growth (2,400%) in the age group of 80 years or over. The hospital fatality rate fell by 53% for all age groups. The increase in the number of hospitalizations due to falls in Bahia is in line with the increase in the elderly population in the state. Despite the reduction in hospital fatality rates for hospitalizations due to falls, the death outcome increased for the population over 80 years of age.