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PubMed2000

Quality of life and stimulation of weight gain after treatment with megestrol acetate: correlation between cytokine levels and nutritional status, appetite in geriatric patients with wasting syndrome.

BACKGROUND: The geriatric wasting syndrome (GWS) has been associated with proinflammatory cytokines, depression and progressive decline in quality of life (QOL). The objective of this study was to evaluate the correlation between the changes in cytokine levels and appetite, nutritional markers, and QOL in geriatric patients with GWS following a randomized clinical trial of megestrol acetate (MA) versus placebo. METHODS: This was a prospective, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. We evaluated 69 predominantly male (3 females) nursing home residents with weight loss of > or =5% of their usual body weight over the past three months or body weight 20% below their ideal body weight. Patients were randomly assigned to receive either placebo or megestrol acetate (MA) oral suspension (O.S.) 800 mg/day for 12 weeks and were then followed for 13 weeks off treatment. Data on appetite, weight, nutritional status, QOL and cytokine levels were collected at baseline and week 12. The correlation between appetite, weight, nutritional status, sense of well being and cytokine level changes in response to MA treatment was examined at week 12. RESULTS: Appetite, sense of well being, and QOL assessed by an "enjoyment list" significantly improved in the MA arm. Rising prealbumin showed a negative correlation with decreasing IL-6 (r = -0.51), TNFR-p 55 (r = -0.49) and sIL-2R (r = -0.38). There was also an improvement in prealbumin and a decrease in IL-6 and TNFR-p55 in the MA-arm (p < 0.01). A correlation between a decrease in the IL-6 levels and improvement in depression (r = 0.50) was seen in the MA arm as well. Improvement in appetite positively correlated with increased enjoyment of life (r = -0.41), less depression (r = -0.34), improved sense of well being (r = 0.36), prealbumin gain (r = 0.30), and weight gain (r = 0.38) by 12 weeks. Also, improvement in appetite positively correlated with improvement in nutritional parameters such as prealbumin, albumin, fat free mass and weight in the MA arm. CONCLUSIONS: In a geriatric nursing home population with weight loss, reduction in cytokine levels after MA treatment correlates with improvement in appetite, prealbumin, albumin, and improvement in quality of life.

Aged↗
PubMed2001

Endoscopic sinus surgery for the treatment of chronic sinusitis in geriatric patients.

Although endoscopic sinus surgery is a well-documented procedure for the treatment of chronic sinusitis in children and adults, no study has been conducted to specifically investigate its application in a geriatric population. We undertook to fill this void by analyzing the records of 1,112 patients who had undergone endoscopic sinus surgery for chronic sinusitis in our department between April 1988 and March 1998. We categorized these patients by age. There were 171 patients (15.4%) in the geriatric group (age: > or = 65 yr), 837 patients (75.3%) in the adult group (age: 17 to 64), and 104 patients (9.4%) in the pediatric group (age: < or = 16 yr). We found that the geriatric group experienced a disproportionately larger share of operative complications, but most of them were minor. Outcomes were similar in all three groups. We conclude that endoscopic sinus surgery is a safe and effective treatment for older patients with chronic sinusitis.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2000

[Depression in the aged: preliminary evaluation of the effectiveness, as an screening instrument, of the 5-item version of the Geriatric Depression Scale].

INTRODUCTION: The best approach to improve under-recognition of depression is routine screening, ideally using an instrument that is highly effective and easy to administer. OBJECTIVE: To test the effectiveness of the 5-item version of the Geriatric Depression Scale (5-GDS) for depression screening in a community-dwelling Chilean elderly population. PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS: 110 subjects were evaluated at the geriatric outpatient clinic of a university teaching hospital. Patients answered a questionnaire that included the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS), and demographic information. Using the 15-item GDS score as reference standard to classify subjects as depressed, test characteristics of the 5-GDS were evaluated. RESULTS: Subjects had a mean 15-item GDS score of 5.4; 47% classified as depressed. Depressed and not depressed subjects were similar with regard to demographics, educational level and comorbid conditions. The mean score was 1.9 for the 5-item GDS. Pearson correlation for 15-item and 5-item GDS scores was 0.92, p < 0.001. Using 15-item GDS score as reference standard, the 5-item GDS had a sensitivity of 0.88, specificity 0.90, positive predictive value 0.88 and negative predictive value 0.90. CONCLUSIONS: The 5-item GDS seems to be a promising screening tool for depression. If revalidated against clinical evaluation, it might be the preferred screening tool for depression in the Chilean community-dwelling elderly.

Aged↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[The effect on the use of hospital resources in a geriatric domiciliary care program among the elderly patients with advanced cardiorespiratory diseases].

BACKGROUND: One of the objectives of the geriatric home care teams is that of the follow-up of elderly patients having a high risk of hospital readmission. Although they have been operating in our country for years, no data shows the impact on the use of hospital resources in accordance with this follow-up. The objective of this study is that of analyzing the effect which the monitoring, by geriatric home care unit, involves on patients having very advanced chronic cardiorespiratory disease. METHODS: The patients with chronic cardiorespiratory disease followed up by the unit during the January 1995-January 1999 period were included, excluding those on follow-up for less than 3 months. A comparison is drawn among the number of hospital emergency room visits, hospital admissions and days of hospitalization for the year prior to the care provided by the unit and throughout the follow-up time thereof are compared. RESULTS: Eighty-one (81) patients, mean age 80.57 years (DE 7.39) and a median length of care per unit of nine (9) months (5-13.5), were included in the study. The uses per patient and month of follow-up decreased by 0.07 Emergency Room visits (0.02-0.11) (p = 0.04), 0.10 hospital admissions (0.07-0.14) (p < 0.001) and 2.01 days of hospitalization (1.87-2.15) (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: A specialized geriatric home care unit reduces the use of hospital resources on elderly people diagnosed as severe chronic cardiorespiratory disease.

Aged↗
PubMed2002

[The spreading of big geriatric centers in the community dwelling elderly: the challenge for the primary health care].

As the giants of geriatrics are considered: immobility, instability, incontinence, intellectual impairment, depression, visual and auditory impairment. They have multiple causation, chronic course, no simple cure and make the elderly person dependent on others for care. The paper presents the results of the study on the prevalence of the giants of geriatrics in community dwelling elderly people 75 yers old +. The study design: cross-sectional questionnaire study, survey. Population studied lived in two chosen areas (the urban and the rural one) with the high percentages of the demographic senility. The interviewers were doctors and nurses serving the studied areas. 463 randomly selected elderly people (233 from the rural and 230 from the urban area) took part in the study. The serious locomotive disability (III/IV group according to J. Piotrowski) was observed in 17.1% of the probands (20.4% in the urban and 13.7% in the rural area; the worse locomotive ability was observed in women and in the older age groups.). Falls were reported by 45.1% of the group (more frequently by women and in the rural area--58.3% vs. 31.9% in the city). Visual impairment reported 21.1% of probands in the urban area and above 50% in rural one and auditory impairment respectively 30.8% and 53.9% of them (in both cases positive correlation with the age was noticed). Incontinence of urine was found in 31.7% of cases in the city and in 46% of them in the rural area (more frequently in women) and incontinence of faeces in 6% (without urban/rural differences). The pathologic result of the Geriatric Depression Scale was observed in 49.2% of the elderly (more frequently in women) and of the Cognitive Impairment Test by Katzman in 20.5% (more frequently in women and in the older age groups). Only 18.4% of the studied group of the elderly maintained the community nurse visited their home during the last 12 months (27.8% in the city and 9% in the rural area) and more frequently--34.3%--general practitioner (respectively 48.7% and 20.2%). The marginal percentage of the elderly (and only in the city) received any kind of physical rehabilitation or contacted the social worker. In the presence of high rate of disability in the elderly population the most important need is the development of community care for the elderly with the great emphasis on the role of community/home nurses and rehabilitation institutions for the elderly on the primary care level.

Aged↗
PubMed2001

Ethical challenges in geriatrics and long-term care.

BACKGROUND: The Canadian population, like that of other western countries, is aging. OBJECTIVE: To review ethical issues related to clinical practice, research, and resource allocation in the geriatric and long-term care population. METHODS: Through the use of case histories and relevant literature review, we explore issues in geriatrics and long-term care. CONCLUSIONS: It is incumbent on health-care providers involved in geriatrics and long-term care to be sensitive to the ethical issues that surround decision-making in the later years of life. It is through this process that we can be humane professionals in a caring society.

Aged↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Acute and chronic effects of citalopram on cerebral glucose metabolism in geriatric depression.

OBJECTIVE: In vivo studies of serotonin function have been limited by the lack of safe and selective pharmacologic agents and availability of suitable radiotracers. In the present study, the authors evaluated the cerebral metabolic effects of acute and continued administration of the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor citalopram in patients with geriatric depression as a potential marker of serotonin dysfunction. METHODS: Six patients with geriatric depression and five comparison subjects underwent two resting positron emission tomography (PET) studies, performed after administration of a placebo infusion (Day 1) and a citalopram infusion (40 mg, Day 2). The patients were re-scanned after 8 weeks of treatment with the oral medication. RESULTS: The elderly comparison subjects demonstrated greater right-hemisphere cortical decreases than the patients. The depressed patients demonstrated greater left-hemisphere cortical decreases than comparison subjects. The depressed patients demonstrated greater increases in the right putamen and left occipital cortex. After 8 weeks of citalopram treatment, regional decreases and increases in metabolism were observed. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest regional deficits and also compensatory responses in the acute metabolic response to citalopram in the patients. These preliminary results suggest that the cerebral metabolic response to citalopram may be a useful marker of the pathophysiology of serotonin function in geriatric depression.

Aged↗
PubMed2003

Urinary incontinence in the geriatric population.

BACKGROUND: Urinary incontinence is a widespread, yet potentially treatable, problem in the geriatric population. METHODS: We reviewed the geriatric and urologic literature to provide an update on the definition, diagnosis, and treatment of geriatric urinary incontinence. RESULTS: Urinary incontinence affects 15-30% of elderly individuals in the community and 50% of those living in nursing homes. Both age and gender affect bladder function, and incontinence affects females and males in a ratio of 2:1. Incontinence can be classified as urge, stress, overflow, functional, or mixed. There are many reversible causes of incontinence, and a thorough history and physical examination, including a complete voiding history and a tailored neuro-urologic examination, are required for accurate diagnosis. Treatment options include behavioral modification, medical therapy with anticholinergics or hormone replacement, and surgical intervention. CONCLUSIONS: Urinary incontinence, due to many causes, is a widespread problem among the elderly. Yet many of these causes are reversible with appropriate treatment, often by the primary care provider. Some patients may require urologic referral for sophisticated urodynamic studies and possible surgical intervention, in select cases.

Aged↗
PubMed1976

Blood values of some vitamins in long-stay psycho-geriatric patients.

A group of 18 long-stay hospital psycho-geriatric patients (aged 64-101 years) and a group of 10 healthy elderly subjects (aged 53-67 years) who were living in their own residence were studied. The group of geriatric patients were suffering from some degree of pressure sores, dementia, irritability and anorexia. Biochemical tests on vitamin adequacy with particular references to ascorbic acid, thiamine and retinal were performed in the subjects. The thiamine status was measured by determining the thiamine pyrophosphate stimulating effect of transketolase enzyme activity in whole blood. The ascorbic acid and retinal nutritures were determined by measuring their levels in plasma. From the biochemical data of the vitamins it would appear that a significant proportion of the long-stay hospital psycho-geriatric patients may be at risk of thiamine, ascorbic acid and retinol deficiencies.

Age Factors↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Challenges to the transition to independent investigator in geriatric mental health.

OBJECTIVE: The author reports on the extent to which junior investigators in geriatric mental health successfully make the transition to independent scientists. METHODS: The NIH CRISP database identified all NIMH Level-1 career awards (K01/K07/K08/K23/ R29) in geriatric mental health completed from 1992 to 2001. RESULTS: Of 46 awardees, 14 (30.4%) achieved R01 funding within 1 year of completion. An additional six investigators subsequently achieved R01s in the remaining follow-up period (ranging from 2 to 10 years), for a total of 43.5% (20/46). CONCLUSIONS: These data underscore the relatively small number of junior investigators who successfully make the transition to independent scientist. Their numbers underscore the importance of efforts by the field of geriatric mental health aimed at both increasing the flow into this career as well as ensuring the retention and success of junior investigators at the critical transition to independent investigators.

Aged↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Antimicrobial resistance patterns among urine isolates from patients in a geriatric hospital and from older patients in a general hospital in Jerusalem.

INTRODUCTION AND RATIONALE: Urinary tract infection is the most common cause of nosocomial infections in patients hospitalized in chronic care facilities. The changing spectrum of microorganisms involved in urinary tract infections and the emerging resistance require continuous monitoring to provide crucial information to guide empirical therapy and encourage prudent use of antibiotics. The aim of this survey was to assess the antimicrobial resistance profile of urine isolates from patients hospitalized in a geriatric hospital and from elderly patients hospitalized in an acute care hospital in order to guide empirical therapy of urinary tract infections. METHODS: The survey was performed in two hospitals in Jerusalem: a university-affiliated geriatric hospital- Herzog -and an acute secondary- and tertiary-care university hospital- Hadassah. We performed a retrospective analysis of antimicrobial resistance of all positive urine cultures obtained from patients in the geriatric division of Herzog Hospital and from patients aged 65 years and older hospitalized in the Internal Medicine departments in Hadassah Hospital during a 1-year period. RESULTS: The most common bacteria isolated from urine specimens in Herzog Hospital were, in order of frequency, Escherichia coli, Proteus mirabilis, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. We demonstrated a high rate of antimicrobial resistance of those bacteria in both hospitals. The pattern we observed necessitates recommending ceftazidime as the most appropriate empirical therapy for urinary tract infection in Herzog Hospital. In Hadassah Hospital we recommend cefuroxime for those patients in good general condition and ceftazidime for those who present with clinical sepsis. Antimicrobial resistance patterns should be assessed periodically and recommendations modified accordingly. Infection control guidelines should be implemented in order to try to decrease the rate of antimicrobial resistance. Further research is requested to assess the efficacy of such interventions in long-term care facilities.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1992

[Sexuality and suicidal behavior. Ethical considerations from the viewpoint of geriatrics].

The alternative "restriction" or "fulfillment" characterizes as age as geriatrics. Necessarily geriatric medicine has to realize not only a holistic concept of medicine but also to deal with the ethic questions and tasks risen by this quest. In both regards completion of awareness of the patient and his background is central. Especially concerning sexuality and suicidality geriatric and ethic interest must focus on the patient and his subjectivity and not start abstractly from principles and norms.

Aged↗
PubMed1992

Prevalence of vitamin B12 deficiency among geriatric outpatients.

BACKGROUND: Healthy people can have low levels of cobalamin (vitamin B12) without symptoms or signs of cobalamin deficiency. Early detection of deficiency is imperative for treatment to be effective. Development of radioimmunoassay tests has greatly improved accurate determination of cobalamin (Cbl) levels. Nevertheless, results of studies of Cbl deficiency vary widely because of the variety of populations studied. METHODS: In a prospective study, we tested 100 consecutive, unselected geriatric outpatients in a primary care setting to determine the prevalence of cobalamin deficiency. All patients, 65 years of age or older, who visited the office of one of the authors during a period of 11 consecutive working days, had their serum Cbl level checked. If the level was 299 pg/mL or lower, serum intrinsic factor and parietal cell antibodies, serum gastrin, part 1 Schilling test, serum methylmalonic acid, and total homocysteine were done, when possible, for the diagnosis of type A gastritis and intracellular Cbl deficiency. RESULTS: Sixteen percent of geriatric outpatients had serum Cbl levels of 200 pg/mL or below, and 21% had levels between 201 and 299 pg/mL. Among the 16 patients with levels < or = 200 pg/mL, 2 patients had macrocytic anemia, 3 patients had peripheral neuropathy, and 8 patients had type A gastritis. Among the 21 patients with levels of 201 to 299 pg/mL, 2 patients had peripheral neuropathy, 9 patients had type A gastritis, and none of the patients had macrocytic anemia. Among the patients whose methylmalonic acid and total homocysteine levels were determined, the results were high in 80% of those with Cbl levels < or = 200 pg/mL and in 33% of those with levels from 201 to 299 pg/mL. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of Cbl deficiency in geriatric outpatients was found to be higher than in any recent report. The lower limit of the normal range for Cbl level should be increased to 300 pg/mL.

Aged↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Legal aspects of geriatric rehabilitation].

Nowadays geriatric rehabilitation is recognized as a matter of social law performance. Nevertheless there are very small chances to realize corresponding legal claims in view of the infra-structural deficits. This subscription works out the claims of social law for geriatric rehabilitation, names questions of delineation between illness, prevention and care indigence and discusses problems of geriatric rehabilitant institutions and services.

Aged↗
PubMed2003

Urolithiasis in geriatric patients.

OBJECTIVES: We intended to find risk factors for urolitiasis and its recurrence in a geriatric population. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The medical records of 209 elderly stone patients over age 65 were reviewed. They had been regularly seen at our stone clinic for a mean follow-up period of 1385 +/- 1324 days after urolithiasis was diagnosed. RESULTS: The elderly population comprised 9.6 % of all the stone patients followed at the stone clinic. Regarding stone compositions, calcium oxalate and calcium phosphate were most common in the elderly patients (80 %). The incidence of uric acid stones was higher in the elderly patient group than in the younger group (10.7 % vs. 5.1 %; p = 0.0046). Recurrent stones were seen in 18 of the 207 geriatric patients (15.4 %) during the follow-up period. The urinary calcium excretion of the recurrent stone patients was significantly higher than in those without recurrence (293 +/- 138 mg vs. 177 +/- 98 mg/day, p = 0.0035). However, the probability of stone recurrence estimated by Kaplan-Meier curves was as equivalent in the elderly patient group as in the younger group. CONCLUSIONS: Hypercalciuria may also play a part in stone recurrence of geriatric patients.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2004

Cost-effectiveness of an interdisciplinary intervention in geriatric inpatients to prevent malnutrition.

BACKGROUND: In order to reduce protein-energy malnutrition in older people during hospitalisation an early interdisciplinary intervention is needed. We developed a protocol which includes screening for malnutrition, dysphagia and dehydration on admission, followed by immediate interventions. OBJECTIVE: To assess effectiveness of the protocol on nutritional status, hospital-acquired infections and pressure sores, and to evaluate the protocol s economical feasibility. DESIGN: Prospective, controlled study. SETTING: The inpatient geriatric service of a university hospital (UMC Nijmegen) and a geriatric ward of a non-academic teaching hospital (Rijnstate Hospital, Arnhem). SUBJECTS: 298 older patients (>60 years). METHODS: One of the geriatric wards applied the protocol (N=140) while the other provided standard care (N=158). All non-terminally ill patients admitted for more than two days were included. Body mass was measured on admittance and discharge and hospital-acquired infections and pressure sores were scored and costs related to nutrition, infections and length of hospital stay were assessed. RESULTS: There was a 0.8 kg loss (SEM 0.3 kg) in average weight in the standard care group and a 0.9 kg gain (SEM 0.2 kg) in the intervention group (p<0.001). The number of hospital acquired infections was significantly lower in the intervention group (33/140 versus 58/158, p=0.01) but no significant difference in number of patients with pressure sores (23/140 versus 33/158) was found. Costs were not significantly different: 7516 versus 7908 Euro/patient for intervention versus controls, respectively. CONCLUSION: An early interdisciplinary intervention approach can be effective in reducing protein-energy malnutrition and related hospital-acquired infections and appears to be economically feasible.

Aged↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Myelodisplasic syndromes diagnosed in a geriatric hospital: morphological profile in 100 patients].

Myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) is particularly common in geriatric practice. As few data are available in very elderly patients, we conducted a 54-month retrospective study in patients over 70 years with MDS diagnosed at Hôpital Charles Foix. Patients with cobalamine, folate or iron deficiency were excluded. Regarding biological and morphologic approaches, MDS patients were classified according to the FAB criteria. We then tempted to reclassify the patients according to the WHO criteria. The Bournemouth scoring system was used as a prognostic tool. During the study period, 100 patients were included, 29 males and 71 females, median age 86 +/- 7 years (70-103). At the time of bone marrow sampling, a peripheral blood cytopenia was documented in 64 patients, a bicytopenia in 27 patients and a pancytopenia in 9 patients. Isolated anaemia (Hb < 12 g/dL) was found in 60 patients and isolated thrombocytopenia (< 150 x 10(9)/L) in 4. Macrocytosis (MCV > 100 fL) was observed in 21 % of the cases. According to the FAB criteria, the 100 patients were classified as follows: refractory anaemia (RA): 79%; RA with ringed sideroblasts (RARS): 8%; RA with excess of blasts (RAEB): 8%; RAEB in transformation: 1%; chronic myelomonocytic leukaemia: 4%. According to the WHO classification, the patients were reclassified as follows: RA (unilineage) (with or without ringed sideroblasts): 10%; refractory cytopenia with multilineage dysplasia with or without ringed sideroblasts (RCMD): 73%; RAEB: 7% (RAEB-1 6%, RAEB-21%); MDS/Myeloproliferative disorder: 4%; unclassified (hypocellularity): 5%; acute leukaemia: 1%. In order to estimate prognosis at the time of the bone marrow aspirate, we calculated the Bournemouth'score: 8 patients scored 0,57 scored 1,25 scored 2,8 scored 3 and 2 scored 4. In this geriatric population, 83% cases of MDS are RA or RCMD (with or without sideroblasts); MDS with excess of blasts are uncommon. Thus, elderly patients under study with MDS were diagnosed at an earlier stage of the disease than younger ones from series published in the literature. Due to frequent comorbidities, geriatric patients may be symptomatic for a slight decrease of haemoglobin level. Therefore, elderly patients are investigated as soon as they present with moderate anaemia that may explain the early MDS diagnosis.

Aged↗
PubMed2004

Crystal arthritis. Gout and pseudogout in the geriatric patient.

Gout and pseudogout are inflammatory arthritides due to monosodium urate and calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate crystal formation. Both are prevalent among geriatric patients, and can present as acute mono- or oligoarticular disease, or as a chronic polyarthropathy resembling osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis. Gout in the geriatric patient is a disease affecting women, commonly associated with diuretic usage, often involves the fingers, may be complicated by the development of masses of uric acid crystals (tophi) in soft tissues, and is frequently polyarticular. Pseudogout in the geriatric patient has a variety of clinical presentations, may be acute or chronic, and should be considered in evaluating any patient with osteoarthritis occurring in an atypical distribution. Treatment includes the use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, colchicine, or corticosteroids. Gout may be impacted by dietary factors, weight reduction, and avoidance of certain forms of alcohol; uric acid-lowering agents are effective for refractory or chronic tophaceous disease.

Adrenal Cortex Hormones↗