Quedas no paciente idoso: o papel do ortopedista na prevenção Falls among the elderly: the role of orthopedist in the prevention Las caídas en los ancianos: el papel del ortopedista en la prevención

Population aging, the main demographic phenomenon of the 20th century, brought changes at social, economic and epidemiological level. These changes modified the patterns of the morbidity, disability and death of individuals. Falls and fractures are a major clinical problem in the elderly people due to the outcomes of these conditions (incidence, health implications, and medical care costs). The orthopedist should take an active role in patient guidance regarding prevention of new episodes of falls and their consequences. The study has conducted a literature review on full articles from descriptors: aged, accidental falls, fractures, bone and orthopedics, published until February 2015, in journals at the basis LiIlacs, Bireme and Medline. It was used systematic data collection for sample analysis. The results indicate that a) at least one in three elderly had an episode of fall per year and fractures account for 5% of cases; b) falls and fractures strongly impact the autonomy and the quality of life of older people; c) the falls result from multifactorial etiology showing higher incidence front to medical risk factor, personal risk factor and risk factor in the home; d) falls can be prevented with healthy lifestyle choices and safety modifications in the home; e) the orthopedist plays an important role in the adoption of preventive habits. It was concluded that guidelines for the elderly people and their families (and caregivers) about the prevention of falls and active aging are efficient measures to minimize the occurrence of falls and their consequences. Descriptors: Aged; Accidental Falls, Fractures, Bone; Orthopedics.