Fall Prevention During IV Therapy

How patients receiving IV therapy can reduce their risk of falling — in the hospital and at home — including IV pole navigation, medication side effects, safe movement with a catheter, and when to ask for help.

patient-education•Feb 2026•Safety

Fall Prevention During IV Therapy

Falls are one of the most common and preventable patient safety incidents in hospitals — and IV therapy increases fall risk in several important ways. Whether you are in the hospital or at home on IV therapy, understanding these risks and taking simple precautions can prevent a serious injury.

Why IV Therapy Increases Fall Risk

IV poles and tubing are trip and stumble hazards

IV poles on wheels are bulky, can shift unexpectedly, and are easy to forget about when you are focused on getting somewhere. Tubing trailing to the floor or caught on bed rails is a genuine tripping hazard.

Medications impair balance and coordination

Many medications commonly given through IV lines affect the central nervous system and can significantly increase fall risk:

  • Opioid pain medications (morphine, hydromorphone, oxycodone, fentanyl): Cause drowsiness, dizziness, slowed reflexes
  • Benzodiazepines (lorazepam, midazolam, diazepam): Cause sedation, muscle relaxation, impaired coordination
  • Antihistamines (diphenhydramine/Benadryl): Cause significant sedation, particularly in older adults
  • Antihypertensives (blood pressure medications): Can cause orthostatic hypotension — a sudden drop in blood pressure when standing
  • Diuretics (furosemide/Lasix): Cause frequent urination, prompting nighttime trips to the bathroom, often while still half-asleep
  • Antiemetics (certain anti-nausea drugs): Some cause sedation or dizziness
  • Antibiotics (some, particularly older aminoglycosides): Can affect balance (vestibular toxicity)
  • Chemotherapy agents: Fatigue, neuropathy (numbness in feet), and anemia all contribute to fall risk

Fatigue and weakness

Illness itself — the infection being treated, the cancer or other condition requiring IV therapy — often causes significant weakness and fatigue. A patient who was ambulatory before hospitalization may have significantly reduced strength and endurance.

Hospitalization effects

Hospital beds are higher than home beds for many patients. Hospital rooms are unfamiliar — different layout, different distances to the bathroom. Patients sleep poorly in hospitals, creating fatigue and disorientation. The combination of unfamiliar environment + medications + weakness is a high-risk scenario.

Altered mental status

Infection (particularly sepsis and urinary tract infections in older adults), fever, pain, sleep deprivation, and medications can all cause confusion, disorientation, or impaired judgment — each of which increases fall risk.

In the Hospital: Practical Fall Prevention

Before getting up: always call first

Never get out of bed in the hospital without first calling your nurse — even for something as simple as using the bathroom. This is not inconvenient; it is the most effective fall prevention measure available.

Why? Your nurse can:

  • Assess whether you are safe to ambulate independently or need assistance
  • Disconnect your IV from the pump if the tubing length will not allow easy access to the bathroom
  • Ensure the IV pole wheels are unlocked and working
  • Be with you in case dizziness or weakness occurs
  • Move obstacles between your bed and the bathroom

Use your nurse call button, which should be within easy reach at all times. If it has slipped out of reach, call out for help rather than reaching for it and potentially losing your balance.

Sit up slowly

Many IV medications and the effects of illness cause orthostatic hypotension — a drop in blood pressure when you move from lying to sitting or sitting to standing, causing dizziness and lightheadedness. To prevent falls from this cause:

  1. Roll to your side first
  2. Sit on the edge of the bed (dangle your legs) for 30–60 seconds
  3. Check that you do not feel dizzy or light-headed before standing
  4. Stand slowly, holding on to the bedrail or a stable surface
  5. Wait a moment at standing before moving

If you feel dizzy when you sit up or stand: sit back down immediately. Do not try to walk through dizziness.

Footwear

Wear non-slip footwear whenever you are out of bed. Most hospitals provide non-slip socks — wear them even for short trips to the bathroom. Going barefoot or in regular socks on a hospital floor significantly increases slip risk.

Avoid open-backed slippers (mules) that can slip off or cause you to trip.

  • Unlock the wheels before moving — IV poles with locked wheels can tip suddenly when pushed
  • Push, don’t pull the IV pole — pushing gives you better control and keeps the pole in front of you where you can see it
  • Keep tubing off the floor. Drape the tubing over the IV pole or hold it up as you walk to prevent tripping
  • Go slowly, particularly around corners — IV poles are easy to turn faster than your body
  • Look where you are going, not at the pole or pump
  • Watch for obstacles — other beds, chairs, bedside tables, other patients’ belongings in shared rooms

Bathroom and nighttime safety

Nighttime bathroom trips are a particularly high-risk time because you are:

  • Still drowsy and disoriented from sleep
  • Moving quickly due to urgency
  • Less careful than during the day

Strategies:

  • Keep the pathway to the bathroom clear before you go to sleep
  • Request a bedside commode if you are unsteady — there is no shame in using one; falls are serious injuries
  • Ensure a nightlight or the bathroom light is on so you can see where you are going
  • Never rush — urgency is not worth a fall. If you lose control of bladder or bowel because you fell trying to rush, that is manageable; a hip fracture is not.
  • Still call your nurse at night before getting up

Bed and room setup

  • Keep your call button within reach at all times
  • Keep needed items (water, phone, glasses) within reach so you do not have to lean or reach far for them
  • Keep the bed in its lowest safe position
  • Ensure the floor around your bed is clear of bags, shoes, and equipment
  • Request that bed side rails be raised if you are at high fall risk

At Home on IV Therapy: Fall Prevention

Falls at home during IV therapy have unique risks:

IV pump and tubing management

  • Choose an infusion location (chair, couch, bed) that minimizes the distance you need to move while connected to the pump
  • If you need to get up during an infusion (bathroom), set the pump to pause if possible, or disconnect safely per your nurse’s instructions — do not walk with a pump pole if the tubing cannot safely accommodate your movement without tripping
  • Elastomeric pumps (ball-shaped infusion devices) and ambulatory pumps worn in a belt/pouch are much safer for movement than stationary pole-mounted pumps during home use

Medication timing and falls

  • If you take a sedating medication (sleep aid, pain medication, antihistamine), avoid getting up alone after taking it for at least 30–60 minutes
  • Be especially careful when first starting a new medication — effects may be more pronounced until your body adjusts
  • Nighttime bathroom trips are the highest-risk time at home, too — install a nightlight on the path from bedroom to bathroom

Environmental modifications during treatment

During a treatment course where medications or fatigue increase your fall risk:

  • Remove throw rugs from high-traffic areas (they slip and crinkle)
  • Ensure shower/bathtub has a non-slip mat and grab bar
  • Clear pathways of clutter, bags, and electrical cords
  • Consider a shower chair if you feel weak or dizzy in the shower
  • Keep a phone accessible at all times — if you fall and cannot get up, you need to be able to call for help

Balance and weakness

If the medications or your underlying condition are causing significant weakness or balance problems:

  • Ask your care team for a physical therapy referral — even a few sessions can significantly improve strength and safety awareness
  • Consider a mobility aid (cane, walker) if recommended by physical therapy, and actually use it

Know Your Fall Risk Level

Before any hospital procedure or admission, a fall risk assessment will typically be performed by your nurse. Ask: “Am I considered high fall risk?” If yes, specific precautions will be put in place (yellow non-slip socks, fall risk sign at your door, bed alarm). Take these precautions seriously — they are based on objective assessment, not excessive caution.

After a Fall

If you fall in the hospital:

  1. Do not try to get up immediately — you may have injured yourself and moving could worsen the injury
  2. Call for help (nurse call button, or call out verbally)
  3. Wait for staff before moving
  4. Be honest about what happened — this is not about blame; the information helps your care team address the underlying risk

If you fall at home:

  1. Do not panic
  2. Assess whether you are injured before trying to get up — if you have pain, particularly in the hip, wrist, or head, wait for help
  3. Call for help (phone, medical alert device if you have one, call out to a household member)
  4. If you are uninjured and can safely get up: roll to your side, get to a hands-and-knees position, and rise with support
  5. Report the fall to your care team at your next contact — falls at home are clinically important information

This guide is for educational purposes. Fall risk is highly individual. Always discuss your specific fall risk with your care team and follow their recommendations.