Abstract: Objective: To investigate the characteristics of single and multiple falls in the elderly admitted to the hospital with fall injuries, compare and analyze the risk factors of multiple falls, and provide references for clinical prevention and intervention. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted to collect data on the health status, physical structure and function, activities and participation, environment and individual information of the elderly admitted to the hospital after falls. According to the number of falls in the past year, the participants were divided into the single fall group and the multiple falls group, then the characteristics and risk factors of the two groups were compared and analyzed. Results: A total of 201 patients were enrolled in the study, of whom 43 experienced multiple falls, accounting for 21.4% of the total number. There was a statistically significant difference between the elderly with multiple falls and single fall in terms of pain, abnormal muscle strength in the upper limbs, and the use of walking aids (P<0.05). Conclusion: Among the elderly people who have been injured by falls, multiple falls were related to pain, abnormal muscle strength in the upper limbs, and the use of walking aids. Nurses can identify high-risk elderly at an early stage, and organize multi-disciplinary teams to intervene, thereby reducing the risk of multiple falls and fall injuries in a year.

Key words: aged; single fall; multiple falls; risk factors; comparison