Adverse Events Steadily Increase within Six Months of Fall-Related ED Visit

​More than half of patients 65 years or older who visited an emergency department (ED) after a fall experienced an adverse event within six months, and the risk was greater for those taking psychological or sedative medications, according to a study published in the June 2017 issue of Annals of Emergency Medicine. The study included data from 350 older adults who presented to the ED after a fall during 2012. Researchers tracked the prevalence of adverse events—recurrent falls, additional ED visits, subsequent hospitalizations, and death—within six months following the initial fall-related ED visit.