Publication year
2001Source
Wiener Klinische Wochenschrift, 113, 10, (2001), pp. 352--62ISSN
Publication type
Article / Letter to editor

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Organization
Neurology
Medical Psychology
Journal title
Wiener Klinische Wochenschrift
Volume
vol. 113
Issue
iss. 10
Page start
p. 352-
Page end
p. 62
Subject
Pathophysiology of Brain and Behaviour; Pathofysiologie van Hersenen en GedragAbstract
Falls severely threaten the health of elderly persons and pose high costs to the public health service. Unfortunately, falls are often regarded as unavoidable and untreatable features of aging. Therefore, many clinicians merely treat the physical injuries of a fall. However, falls and gait limitations are markers of underlying (sometimes otherwise subclinical) diseases that can be amenable to treatment. Moreover, falls and gait limitations herald the onset of repeated falls, physical decline, serious psychosocial consequences and a reduced survival. We review how clinically relevant risk factors can be traced by reviewing the medical notes, by careful history taking and by physical examination. The identified risk factors can serve as a template for the design of prevention strategies, which are discussed in the companion article.
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- Academic publications [227613]
- Faculty of Medical Sciences [86193]
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