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Biomedical subjects

Jean-Pierre Michel

Publications and source records attributed to Jean-Pierre Michel.

26 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Hip fracture surgery: is the pre-operative American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score a predictor of functional outcome?

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Many studies have identified specific demographic, social, health or life-style pre-operative indicators of long-term outcome among older hip fracture patients who underwent surgical treatment. The purpose of this study was to determine the predictive value of peri- and intra-operative factors, and more specifically of the pre-operative American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score on functional outcome in these patients. METHODS: A questionnaire designed to assess pre-fracture functional and health status was administered to surgically treated hip fracture patients. Post-fracture functional and health status was further ascertained by in-home interview one year after the operation. Among 140 consecutive eligible patients older than 65 years, 10 either refused subsequent interviews or could not be contacted; an additional 16 patients died during the year of follow-up, leaving 114 patients available for this study. RESULTS: The average age of the patients was 82.4 years. Almost two-thirds of them suffered from severe systemic disease, whether or not incapacitating (ASA grades III-IV). Subjects classified in these categories presented more frequently with cardiovascular disorders, were more frequently disoriented, and already had some pre-fracture difficulty with ambulation. The mortality at one year was almost nine times higher in severely impaired patients (grades III-IV) than in healthy or mildly affected patients (grades I-II). Functional outcome and/or ambulatory ability assessed at one year did not reveal any statistically significant difference between the ASA I-II and III-IV groups. The most pronounced difference was noticed for the functional independence measured by the ADL score (p = 0.236). Better prognoses were consistently recorded for patients with an intracapsular fracture, for those who were operated within 24 hours, for those treated with a prosthesis as opposed to internal fixation, and for those whose operating time was less than 1 1/2 hours. CONCLUSIONS: Although the ASA classification is a good predictor of long-term mortality, the findings of the present investigation do not conclusively associate ASA score with post-operative restoration of mobility and functional independence.

Activities of Daily Living↗

[Prevalence of dementia in the City of Zurich].

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of the study was to estimate the prevalence rate of dementia (PRD) in relation to age, gender, and ApoE-genotype. METHODS: The random sample consisted of 465 subjects aged 65 and more. The interview was conducted by means of the Canberra Interview for the Elderly. The genotyping of ApoE has been performed by a combination of the polymerase chain reaction and a gel electrophoresis separation. RESULTS: The overall PRD amounted to 10.1% (95% CI 6.8-13.3%) and was higher among females (12.2%) than among males (4.9%). The gender difference was of borderline statistical significance (OR 2.17; 95% CI 0.97-4.84 adjusted for age, education level). PRD rose significantly with age. In contrast, the possession of one copy of ApoE-epsilon 4-allele was not associated with a higher risk of having dementia (OR 1.48; 95% CI 0.60-3.63 adjusted for age, gender, education level). CONCLUSIONS: These results are consistent with the finding from other authors.

Age Factors↗

[Healthy aging: the Swiss experience].

The quantitative importance of ageing both in developed or in developing countries raised the subtle question of the quality of life of the ageing person. Precise definitions of life expectancy, healthy life expectancy and quality of life are presented. Then, presentation of the results of two cross-sectional studies performed with the same methodology at a 15-year time interval in French-speaking Switzerland illustrates compression of morbidity theory, with increased longevity, increased good perception of health and increased quality of life. Moreover, quantitative data concerning the longevity impact of hospital geriatric care are presented from Geneva. The 4-year survival rate of over 85 year old women, discharged from the hospital for acute care, reached 48%. Explanations of these outstanding medical progresses on longevity and socio-economical challenges of extreme ageing are discussed in the world context.

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End-of-life care of persons with dementia.

Many clinicians with different training and practice are involved in the care of persons with dementia. Whereas neurologists and psychiatrists focus their attention on the early phase of dementia, geriatricians and palliative care specialists are particularly involved at the end of demented patients' lives. To summarize the progress of knowledge in this field, it seems possible to answer four fundamental questions. When? Several longitudinal studies of cohorts of demented and nondemented patients showed clearly that dementia is a risk factor for early death. There are no survival differences between Alzheimer's and Lewy body disease patients. Patients with vascular dementia have the worst prognosis. These results need to be analyzed with consideration of associated comorbidity, types and intensity of care, and dementia treatment. Why? Studies conducted on the basis of death certificates appear to be biased. A large autopsy study performed in the geriatric department of Geneva University Hospital showed no difference existed in immediate causes of death between demented and nondemented hospitalized old patients. On the other hand, cardiac causes are significantly more frequent in vascular dementia than in Alzheimer's disease or mixed dementia patients. How? Deaths of demented patients raise a lot of ethical considerations. It is always difficult to know demented patients' awareness of the end of life. It is really difficult to accompany these patients, with whom communication is essentially nonverbal. During this delicate phase of the end of life, how can formal health professionals help the family members who are afraid of both death and dementia? And after? Suffering of family members and caregivers has to be strongly considered. This goal includes the improvement of our communication skills with the patient, and the facilitation of interdisciplinary exchanges with the caregiver's team and with the family members to allow acceptance of the death.

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Clinicopathological validation study of four sets of clinical criteria for vascular dementia.

OBJECTIVE: The authors' goal was to validate the clinical criteria for vascular dementia of the State of California Alzheimer's Disease Diagnostic and Treatment Centers (ADDTC), the National Institute for Neurological Disorders and Stroke-Association Internationale pour la Recherche et l'Enseignement en Neurosciences (NINDS-AIREN), DSM-IV, and ICD-10. METHOD: Sensitivity and specificity were assessed by comparing the clinical with the neuropathological diagnosis of 89 autopsied patients with dementia from a geriatric and psychiatric hospital. All cases were reviewed by a clinician and a neuropathologist who were blind to each other's findings. RESULTS: Neuropathologically there were 20 cases of vascular dementia, 23 cases of mixed dementia, and 46 cases of Alzheimer's disease among the autopsied patients. The sensitivity was 0.50 for DSM-IV criteria for vascular dementia, 0.70 for ADDTC criteria for possible vascular dementia, 0.55 for NINDS-AIREN criteria for possible vascular dementia, 0.20 for ICD-10 criteria for vascular dementia, 0.25 for ADDTC criteria for probable vascular dementia, and 0.20 for NINDS-AIREN criteria for probable vascular dementia. Specificity was 0.84, 0.78, 0.84, 0.94, 0.91, and 0.93, respectively. The proportion of cases clinically classified as vascular dementia ranged from 0% to 13% for neuropathologically confirmed cases of Alzheimer's disease and 9% to 39% for neuropathologically confirmed cases of mixed dementia. There was no statistically significant relationship between the neuropathological diagnosis and three of the clinical criteria sets studied (ICD-10 criteria for vascular dementia and ADDTC and NINDS-AIREN criteria for probable vascular dementia). CONCLUSIONS: Clinical criteria for vascular dementia are not interchangeable. The ADDTC criteria for possible vascular dementia are the most sensitive for the detection of vascular dementia; however, the DSM-IV criteria for vascular dementia and the NINDS-AIREN criteria for possible vascular dementia may be more effective in excluding mixed dementia. Given their inability to detect the vast majority of cases of vascular dementia, the ICD-10 criteria for vascular dementia and the ADDTC and NINDS-AIREN criteria for probable vascular dementia should be revised.

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Non-invasive (transcutaneous) monitoring of PCO2 (TcPCO2) in older adults.

BACKGROUND: Transcutaneous measurements of arterial blood gases (ABG) may decrease the need for repeated arterial puncture in older patients treated for acute cardiac or pulmonary disorders. However, age-related changes in skin perfusion, metabolism, or thickness may alter the validity of the technique. OBJECTIVE: To analyse the agreement between transcutaneous and arterial measurement of PaO2 and PaCO2 in older adults. DESIGN: Prospective descriptive study performed in the intermediate-care unit of a geriatric university hospital and a pulmonary rehabilitation centre. METHODS: 40 patients, aged 82.5+/-8 years (66-97), hemodynamically stable, without vasopressor treatment, underwent simultaneous measurement of arterial blood gases (ABG) and transcutaneous CO2 (TcPCO2) and O2 (TcPO2) with a Radiometer TINA TCM3 capnograph, and a probe T degrees set at 43 degrees C. RESULTS: Correlation between PaCO2 and TcPCO2 was high (r2=0.86) with a low bias (-0.1 mm Hg) and limits of agreement quite compatible with clinical use: (8.3; -8.5 mm Hg). The probe was well tolerated without any cutaneous lesion even after prolonged recordings (up to 8 h). Conversely, although TcPO2 and PaO2 were significantly correlated, the variability around the regression line precludes the use of transcutaneous measurements for monitoring PaO2)in a clinical setting. CONCLUSION: In older subjects, TcPCO2 (but not TcPO2) measurements are reliable when repeated assessment of ABG is warranted.

Age Factors↗