RESUMEN
The objectives of this prospective cohort study were to 1) determine the prevalence of depressed mood, 2) identify the characteristics associated with it, and 3) evaluate the recognition rate of depressed mood by clinicians. The study population was a cohort of 401 elderly patients, aged 75 years and older, admitted to the internal medicine service of a tertiary care academic medical center in Western Switzerland over six months. We excluded patients with severe cognitive impairment, terminal disease or those living in a nursing home. Data on demographics, medical, physical, social and mental status were collected upon admission. Presence of depressed mood was defined as a score > or = 6 on the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS), short form (15-item). An independent reviewer performed a discharge summary abstraction to assess recognition rate. Subjects' mean age was 82.4 years, 60.9% were women. Overall, 90 patients (22.40%) had an abnormal GDS score (> or =6). Compared to those without a depressed mood, these subjects were (all p<0.05) older (83.5 vs 82.0 years), more frequently living alone (66.7 vs 55.0%), dependent in both basic activities of daily living (BADL) and instrumental ADL (48.9 vs 36.0%, and 91.1 vs 84.9%, respectively), and cognitively impaired (47.8 vs 27.7% with MMSE score<24). In addition, they had more comorbidities (Charlson index 1.6 vs 1.2). In multivariate analysis, an independent association remains for subjects living alone (OR 1.8, 95%CI 1.1-3.0), with cognitive impairment (OR 1.9, 95%CI 1.1-3.2), and comorbidities (OR 1.3 per point, 95%CI 1.1-1.5). Detection rate during the index hospitalization was only 16.7% (15/90). In conclusion, depressed mood was frequent but rarely detected in this population. These findings emphasize the need to improve screening efforts, and to develop additional strategies such as using a pre-screening question to enhance clinical recognition.
Asunto(s)
Envejecimiento/psicología , Depresión/epidemiología , Depresión/psicología , Pacientes Internos/psicología , Actividades Cotidianas , Anciano , Anciano de 80 o más Años , Estudios de Cohortes , Depresión/diagnóstico , Depresión/fisiopatología , Femenino , Humanos , Masculino , Escala del Estado Mental , Análisis Multivariante , Prevalencia , Estudios Prospectivos , SuizaRESUMEN
Our objective was to identify patient characteristics associated with inappropriate hospital days in a cohort of elderly medical inpatients. This prospective cohort study included a total of 196 patients aged 75 years and older, who were consecutively admitted over eight months to the internal medicine service of a regional, non-academic public hospital located in a rural area of Western Switzerland. Patients with severe cognitive impairment, terminal disease, or previously living in a nursing home were excluded. Data on demographics, medical, physical, social and mental status were collected at admission. A blinded hospitalization review was performed concurrently using a modified version of the Appropriateness Evaluation Protocol (AEP). Subjects' mean age was 82.4 years; 63.3% were women. Median length of stay was 8 days. Overall, 68 patients (34.7%) had at least one inappropriate day during their stay, including 18 patients (9.2%) whose hospital admission and entire stay were considered inappropriate. Most inappropriate days were due to discharge delays (87.10%), primarily to nursing homes (59.30%). Univariate analysis showed that subjects with inappropriate days were more likely to be living alone (69.1 vs 48.4%, p=0.006), and receiving formal in-home help (48.5 vs 32.8%, p=0.031). In addition, they were more impaired in basic and instrumental activities of daily living (BADLs, and IADLs, p<0.001 and p=0.015, respectively), and more frequently had a depressed mood [29.4 vs 10.9%, p=0.001 with a score > 6 at the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS), short form]. Using multivariate analysis, independent associations remained for patients living alone (OR 2.6, 95%CI 1.2-5.8, p=0.016), those with a depressed mood (OR 2.8, 95%CI 1.1-7.3, p=0.032), with BADL dependencies (OR 1.5, 95%CI 1.2-1.8, p=0.001), and IADL dependencies (OR 1.3, 95%CI 1.0-1.6, p=0.032). Cardiovascular (OR 0.2, 95%CI 0.1-0.7, p=0.008) and pulmonary admission diagnoses (OR 0.1, 95%CI 0.0-0.7, p=0.022) were inversely associated with inappropriate hospital days. In conclusion, patients living alone, functionally impaired and showing depressive symptoms were at increased risk for inappropriate hospital days. These characteristics might permit better targeting for early discharge planning in these at-risk subjects, and contribute to avoiding premature discharge of other vulnerable elderly patients. Whether these interventions for at-risk patients will also result in prevention of hospitalization hazards, such as deconditioning and related functional decline, will require further study.