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Biomedical subjects

S Ebrahim

Publications and source records attributed to S Ebrahim.

At least 217 records · Page 12Linked to original sources
PubMed1993

Health care for elderly people in developing countries: a case study of Thailand.

The elderly populations of many developing countries are increasing rapidly. These demographic changes are a direct result of the success of socio-economic development that has led to declines in mortality rates at all ages and reductions in fertility. However, an aged population might be expected to suffer with the problems of dependency and disability leading to an increased burden of disease. Adequate disability and life expectancy data are essential for planning health and social policy but are currently insufficient. Making best use of the limited resources available for health care will require an emphasis on training of professional staff and carers, but with integration of health care for elderly people with established health services, particularly the existing primary health care systems. Strategies aimed at developing separate services for elderly people should be avoided because of the high likelihood of producing services of low quality with an inappropriate hospital emphasis.

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PubMed1993

Elderly people.

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

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PubMed1993

Development and results of a questionnaire to measure carer satisfaction after stroke.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To develop a carer satisfaction questionnaire for use as an outcome measure in stroke, to test the measure for reliability and validity, and to survey levels of carer satisfaction with services for stroke patients. DESIGN: Postal survey of carer satisfaction with stroke services was carried out using the questionnaire we developed and tested. Internal consistency was tested and construct validation was explored by examining correlations with other outcome measures (the Faces Scale, the Nottingham Health Profile, the short form of the Geriatric Depression Scale, and the patient's Barthel Index score). SETTING: Two adjacent districts in North East Thames Regional Health Authority. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 103 carers were identified from 219 people who had survived a stroke to six months. During the pilot stage, six of seven carers who were invited to participate in in depth interviews and 15 of 23 carers (65%) who were invited to completed the first draft of the questionnaire. MAIN RESULTS: The questionnaire was divided into two sections, one on inpatient services (Carer Hospsat) and one on services after discharge (Carer Homesat). The questionnaire had construct validity, providing significant correlations with the Faces Scale (Carer Hospsat r = 0.59, p < 0.00001 and Carer Homesat r = 0.68, p < 0.00001), the patients' Barthel score (Carer Hospsat r = 0.25, p = 0.01), and the patients' Nottingham extended Activities of Daily Living (ADL) scale (Carer Hospsat r = 0.31, p = 0.002). Internal consistency was high for both sections (Cronbach's alpha: Carer Hospsat 0.87, Carer Homesat 0.79). Most carers (77%) were satisfied with the care their relative or friend received while in hospital, but only 39% were satisfied with services after discharge. CONCLUSIONS: Carer satisfaction is an important outcome measure in stroke research. This study has shown that carers are dissatisfied with services after hospital discharge. Our questionnaire is valid, reliable, and sensitive and could be used to test interventions aimed at improving services.

Aftercare↗
PubMed1992

Is relocation harmful to institutionalized elderly people?

One hundred and one elderly continuing-care residents were relocated, from a hospital which closed, to new or refurbished accommodation at another hospital. Barthel and CAPE scores were used to assess changes in disability. Small improvements in disability over the relocation period were seen compared with changes seen over a subsequent, 2-month control period. The monthly mortality rate in the 6 months after relocation was not statistically different from that in the corresponding 6 months the previous year. Relocation to more appropriate accommodation may have had overall beneficial effects on disability.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed1992

Elderly bed-blockers in a Thai teaching hospital: is it a problem?

Elderly patients suffer from a wide range of chronic disabling diseases and social problems. These conditions often lead to increased lengths of hospital stay for acute medical and surgical problems--"bed-blocking". By means of a one-day census of all inpatients at Chulalongkorn Thai Red Cross Hospital the number and reasons for continued hospital stay of all patients, classified by age (less than 60, and 60+ years), were measured. Of 191 medical inpatients surveyed, 34 per cent were 60 years and over. More older than younger patients were still in hospital for non-medical reasons (35% vs 21%, Chi-square = 4.89, p < 0.01). Durations of hospital stay were longer for older patients: median stay 8 and 11 days respectively for those less than 60 and those 60+ years. Early discharge of disabled elderly people to their families was achieved by vigorous social work, thus reducing the extent to which elderly patients become bed-blockers. Further demographic trends, coupled with a breakdown of the extended family structure, will make bed-blocking a very likely problem. The present patterns of care may lead to poor long-term outcomes for the elderly.

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PubMed1992

Assessing the effects of a health promotion programme for elderly people.

Physical exercise is an increasingly popular health promotion activity for elderly people, although evidence of its effectiveness is limited. We aimed to evaluate the impact of the exercise component of the Look After Yourself (LAY) package promoted by the Health Education Authority in two groups of elderly people attending the 10 weekly sessions which make up the LAY course. Classes 1 and 2 comprised 13 and 18 subjects, aged from 65 to 89 years, and from 58 to 87 years respectively. Class 1 subjects were white with the exception of one Jamaican man, and Class 2 subjects were all Afro-Caribbean. Subjects had measurements of shoulder joint flexibility, grip strength, blood pressure, weight and a self-perceived health questionnaire, the Nottingham Health Profile (NHP) completed at baseline, 10 weeks and at six months. Class 1 showed reductions in grip strength and a deterioration in pain and mobility dimensions of the NHP, whereas Class 2 showed large improvements in shoulder joint flexibility and a small and non-significant trend towards improved self-perceived health. Class 2 subjects felt that they had benefited, and just over half had continued with an exercise programme. These findings suggest that the effect of mild exercise on objective indicators and self-perceived health may depend on the context in which it is done, the type of exercise promoted, and that continued exercise is aided by the provision of further group classes. There is a need for evaluation of the impact of different types of exercise programmes, covering a wider range of indicators of fitness, in larger groups of elderly people.

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PubMed1992

Long-term institutional residents: does the environment affect outcomes?

Quality in institutional care is frequently questioned, yet there has been little research on the effects of different environments on important outcomes such as disability and quality of life. These outcomes are difficult to measure, and randomised trials difficult to perform. An alternative to formal trials is to assess the effects of 'natural experiments' arising from service reforms. We have studied the relocation of 95 residents from the continuing-care wards of a hospital which closed to two different ward environments: one new and purpose built, the other refurbished maternity wards. Deaths and changes in disability over 12 months from pre-relocation measurements were recorded, using the Barthel Index and Clifton Assessment Procedure for the Elderly (CAPE) Behavioural Rating and Cognitive Assessment Scales. No advantage could be shown for the new wards in terms of changes in disability; in fact, Barthel scores improved more on the refurbished wards (the difference being 2.5 points at 4 months, p less than 0.0005). Changes in CAPE scores did not differ between the wards. Mortality at 1 year was 44%, with no significant difference between the ward types. Logistic regression analysis and multivariate analysis of variance showed this effect to be independent of initial differences between the groups. Efforts to improve quality in long-term care for the elderly are not wholly dependent on the provision of expensive new facilities.

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PubMed1992

Delirium in newly admitted elderly patients: a prospective study.

The prevalence, associated conditions and outcome of delirium were studied in a consecutive series of 184 patients admitted with acute illness to a department of health care of the elderly. Forty of these elderly subjects (22 per cent) met Diagnostic and Statistical Manual version 3 (revised) criteria for delirium. Screening for delirious patients using the abbreviated mental test on admission gave a high sensitivity (92 per cent). The conditions most commonly associated with delirium were infection and stroke. Onset of acute illness of less than 15 days, a reported history of dementia or recent confusion, and presence of a definite site of infection were much more likely in those with delirium. Serial use of the abbreviated mental test was a sensitive means of distinguishing delirious from other patients and may be useful in both the clinical and research setting. Delirious patients had more serious pre-existing disease than non-delirious patients. They had a higher number of admissions during the 2 years prior to the index admission, a higher mortality rate and a higher rate of transfer to long-stay care than other patients, but no difference in duration of admission. All acutely ill elderly people should undergo an abbreviated mental test on admission, and if abnormal, this should be repeated as it will aid detection of delirium.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1991

The valuation of states of ill-health: the impact of age and disability.

The effects of age and disability on valuations of health states used in deriving QALYs have not been examined. We compared the valuations of seven states of immobility and pain given by 88 subjects aged 20-89 years, and of various degrees of disability. They were asked to score each state, their present health and death, on a range from 'best' to 'worst' health. Only two states of health (no disability but moderate pain, and slight disability and moderate pain) were valued differently by older subjects. Disabled subjects tended to rate most ill-health states more adversely, and to rate death as substantially better than more severe states of ill-health. The development of explicit valuations of survival should take into account differences caused by disability, and examine other dimensions of illness experience.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

A randomized controlled trial of nursing home and long-stay geriatric ward care for elderly people.

This paper reports outcome data on mental and physical ability levels, mortality and accident rates, from a randomized controlled trial evaluating health authority funded nursing home and long-stay geriatric ward care in one inner London health district. There were no differences between settings in mortality rates, although respondents randomized to the nursing homes deteriorated more rapidly in overall, mental and functional ability levels. Previous analyses reported that they also experienced a higher accident rate than respondents in the wards. However, observational data from the evaluation clearly indicated that quality of life in the homes was superior to that in the wards. We conclude that the more rapid physical decline and greater risk of accident in the nursing homes have to be balanced against an inferior quality of life in the hospital, and that a judgement is not easy to make on behalf of other people.

Accidents↗
PubMed1991

The abbreviated mental test: its use and validity.

The validity of the Abbreviated Mental Test was demonstrated by comparison with final clinical diagnoses in a consecutive sample of 168 patients admitted with acute illness to a department of health care of the elderly. Fifty-eight (34%) had abnormal cognition. The best cut-off point was 8, with less than 8 suggesting abnormal cognitive function. A short version (the AMT7) of the AMT was developed. Its validity, internal consistency and coverage of domains was equivalent to the AMT but it had a slightly higher sensitivity (with acceptable specificity) than the original. This new short version may improve performance of junior doctors in clinical practice who appear to have difficulty remembering all 10 items of the AMT.

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PubMed1991

Prevalence and severity of morbidity among Gujarati Asian elders: a controlled comparison.

Asian elders make relatively heavy use of health services: this may be due to higher levels of morbidity, but controlled comparisons have not been carried out. A comparison of the prevalence and severity of chronic diseases and use of health services of Asian and indigenous elders was made. A sample of 59 Gujarati Asians of mean age 62.9 years and 59 indigenous subjects of mean age 63.9 years of whom 42% (25 in each group) were female drawn from a general practice was studied. Asian subjects had a higher prevalence of diagnosed diseases, with the exception of chronic obstructive airways disease, but lower risk of falls and urinary incontinence. Asian subjects had higher life satisfaction scores and lower prevalence of depressed mood. Asian women were more likely to have had contact with primary care services. Both Asian men and women had more frequent hospital admissions, but similar levels of out-patient attendance. Body mass index, blood pressure and shoulder joint range of movement were similar for both Asians and the indigenous population. Asian subjects had significantly lower peak expiratory flow rates and hand grip strength. Asian elders have a higher risk of chronic diseases, but the impact of disease (indicated by life satisfaction, mood, and common disabilities) is less than among the indigenous population. Lower peak expiratory flow rates and grip strength among Asian elders are of concern since they may lead to premature arrival at age-related thresholds of physical capacity essential for independence in activities of daily living.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed1989

Prevalence and diagnosis of chronic respiratory symptoms in adults.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the prevalence and diagnosis of chronic respiratory disease in adults. DESIGN: Screening questionnaire was sent to all patients aged 40-70 on the register of a group general practice; those responding positively were sent a detailed questionnaire and invited for assessment of respiratory function by forced expiratory volume in one second, forced vital capacity, peak flow rate, and reversibility studies with a beta adrenergic inhaler. SETTING: Group general practice in south west London. RESULTS: Of 2387 patients aged 40-70, 1444 completed a screening questionnaire. Of the 509 patients who reported cough, phlegm, wheeze, or shortness of breath, 324 responded to a detailed questionnaire, 256 of whom had simple respiratory function assessed. Chronic bronchitis affected 106 (17%) men and 58 (7%) women, and wheeze occurring at least once a week affected 60 (9%) men and 20 (3%) women. Only a half to a third of patients had received a diagnostic label of chronic bronchitis or asthma for their symptoms. There was considerable clinical and physiological similarity (including reversibility of the airways) between patients labelled as having asthma and having chronic bronchitis. A label of asthma was used more often for patients of social classes I and II. CONCLUSIONS: Comparison with prevalence surveys carried out in the 1950s showed that respiratory symptoms are as common now as then, but the risk of disabling chronic bronchitis has fallen, more among men than women, probably because of their reduced smoking. Changes in diagnostic fashion, together with increased detection, may have contributed to the upward trend in reported morbidity from asthma over the past 30 years.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Vitamin C status and other nutritional indices in patients with stroke and other acute illnesses: a case-control study.

Sixty-three patients with acute thrombotic stroke were compared with 47 age and sex-matched patients admitted concurrently with acute ischaemic cardiac pain and a further 44 with acute noncardiovascular illnesses. Overall the stroke patients scored highest on a questionnaire designed to estimate mean daily intake of vitamin C before hospital admission. There were problems with this retrospective dietary assessment, however, and the diet scores of the 27 stroke patients able to answer the questionnaire themselves fell between those of the other two groups. There were no significant differences between the three patient groups in plasma ascorbic acid or uric acid levels, but plasma magnesium and albumin levels were higher in the stroke patients. These findings were similar for patients aged over and under 70 but intergroup differences in magnesium and albumin levels were more marked in the elderly. These results do not support the postulated inverse relationship between vitamin C status and the risk of stroke.

Acute Disease↗