Autologous Stem Cell Transplantation: The Predictive Value of the Morse Fall Scale in Hospitalized Patients

Background: Falls are common in hospitalized patients undergoing autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT). Research demonstrates that preventing patient falls requires knowledge of the risk factors and the circumstances preceding the patient’s fall.

Objectives: To identify risk factors related to falls in recipients of ASCT and assess the predictive value of the Morse Fall Scale (MFS).

Methods: Of the 288 patients who underwent transplantation during the study period, 14 were fallers. Twenty controls were randomly selected. The study used descriptive case-control analysis and simple logistic regression to analyze the data.

Findings: Eight fallers and four non-fallers had high MFS scores. The logistic regression model indicated that patients with high MFS scores were 5.3 times more likely to fall and that for each day patients experienced diarrhea, their risk of fall increased 1.2 times.