Article

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether fall rates are constant across levels of
mobility limitations. DESIGN: Secondary analysis of baseline assessments from a
stratified randomized controlled trial. SETTING: Community. PARTICIPANTS: Persons
with multiple sclerosis (N=365) were divided into 5 groups based on the mobility
section of the Guy's Neurological Disability Scale (GNDS): no walking impairment
(n=82); impaired walking, no aid (n=87); unilateral support (n=76); bilateral
support to walk (n=78); or occasional wheelchair user (n=42). INTERVENTIONS: Not
applicable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Self-reported fall history (ie, retrospective)
in the preceding 3 months. RESULTS: One hundred twenty-four persons in the
overall sample reported falling in the last 3 months (fall prevalence, 33.97%).
Of the total sample, 17.8% reported 2 or more falls in the last 3 months.
Chi-square analysis revealed a significant difference in the proportion of
fallers across GNDS categories (chi(2)=42.64, P<.001). Post hoc analysis revealed
that the group who walked with bilateral support had the greatest proportion of
fallers (52.6%), while the group without walking impairment had the lowest
proportion (15.9%). An examination of recurrent fallers as a function of group
found that there were more recurrent fallers (70%) in the group that had a
walking impairment but used no aid, relative to the other groups. CONCLUSIONS:
The current findings highlight that fall rates including recurrent fall
prevalence are not uniform across mobility aid categories in persons with MS.
Those using bilateral assistance for gait have the highest prevalence of fallers,
and those with walking limitations and not yet using an aid had the greatest
prevalence of multiple falls.
CI - Copyright (c) 2014 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by
Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Langue : ANGLAIS