Predicting Falls in Nursing Homes: A Prospective Multicenter Cohort Study Comparing Fall History, Staff Clinical Judgment, the Care Home Falls Screen, and the Fall Risk Classification Algorithm.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate and compare the predictive accuracy of fall history, staff clinical judgment, the Care Home Falls Screen (CaHFRiS), and the Fall Risk Classification Algorithm (FRiCA). DESIGN: Prospective multicenter cohort study with 6 months' follow-up. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: A total of 420 residents from 15 nursing homes participated. METHODS: Fall history, clinical judgment of staff (ie, physiotherapists, nurses and nurses' aides), and the CaHFRiS and FRiCA were assessed at baseline, and falls were documented in the follow-up period. Predictive accuracy was calculated at 1, 3, and 6 months by means of sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value, positive and negative likelihood ratio, Youden Index, and overall accuracy. RESULTS: In total, 658 falls occurred and 50.2% of the residents had at least 1 fall with an average fall rate of 1.57 (SD 2.78, range 0-20) per resident. The overall accuracy for all screening methods at all measuring points ranged from 54.8% to 66.5%. Fall history, FRiCA, and a CaHFRiS score of ≥4 had better sensitivity, ranging from 64.4% to 80.8%, compared with the clinical judgment of all disciplines (sensitivity ranging from 47.4% to 71.2%). The negative predictive value (ranging from 92.9% at 1 month to 59.6% at 6 months) had higher scores for fall history, FRiCA, and a CaHFRiS score of ≥4. Specificity ranged from 50.3% at 1 month to 77.5% at 6 months, with better specificity for clinical judgment of physiotherapists and worse specificity for FRiCA. Positive predictive value ranged from 22.2% (clinical judgment of nurses' aides) at 1 month to 67.8% at 6 months (clinical judgment of physiotherapists). CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: No strong recommendations can be made for the use of any screening method. More research on identifying residents with the highest fall risk is crucial, as these residents benefit the most from multifactorial assessments and subsequent tailored interventions.

Maximum weight-shifts in sitting in non-ambulatory people with stroke are related to trunk control and balance: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Impaired sitting balance is common in persons with stroke, affecting postural control in different directions. However, studies seldomly investigate sitting balance in severely affected non-ambulatory persons with stroke and precise assessment including the diagonal directions are scarce. RESEARCH QUESTION: Are measurements of maximal voluntary weight-shifts decreased in severely affected persons with stroke in comparison to healthy controls, and is there a relationship with clinical measurements of trunk control, sitting and standing balance? METHODS: 14 Persons with stroke were recruited in the rehabilitation phase along with 32 healthy controls. A clinical pressure platform (RM Ingénierie, France) evaluated the weight-distribution during static sitting and measurements of maximal voluntary weight-shifts, by centre of pressure displacements in six directions. Clinical measurements included Trunk Control Test, Trunk Impairment Scale and Berg Balance Scale. RESULTS: The persons with stroke had a mean (SD) age of 69 (17) years, including 5 females and 9 males and were on average 57 (40) days post stroke. No patient was able to walk without manual support and median (IQR) Berg Balance Scale score was 17 (6-33) out of 56 points. Measurements showed that the centre of pressure distance was significantly smaller in all directions in persons with stroke compared to healthy controls (p < 0.05). The clinical measurements demonstrated moderate to very high correlations with centre of pressure distance in the diagonal forward, diagonal backward and lateral directions (r = 0.54 - 0.89). SIGNIFICANCE: This study reveals that measurements of maximal voluntary weight-shifts are feasible and show clinically relevant deficits in severely affected non-ambulatory persons with stroke. Especially the lateral and diagonal directions can be of interest to investigate further as they are most strongly correlated with clinical measurements of balance. Reaching exercises in these directions could be considered a core element of rehabilitation for this group of patients.

Case report: an aortic aneurysm as cause of pseudoachalasia.

BACKGROUND: Pseudoachalasia is a rare disorder which has clinical, radiographic, and manometric findings that are often indistinguishable from primary achalasia. It is usually associated with malignancy. Few reports describe vascular compression as a cause of pseudoachalasia. CASE PRESENTATION: Here we present a case of a 84-year-old woman with anorexia, dysphagia and unintentional weight loss initially diagnosed as achalasia. Upon further investigation a rare cause of pseudoachalasia due to vascular compression of the esophagus was found. It could have been overlooked due to the fact that the initial work-out with a barium swallow, manometry and endoscopy was suggestive for primary achalasia. CONCLUSION: Particularly in older patients with a manometric diagnosis of achalasia, additional investigation to rule out pseudoachalasia is warranted. Although malignant involvement of the esophagus is the most common cause of pseudoachalasia, benign origins have also been described.

Clinical factors impacting on late dysphagia following radiotherapy in patients with head and neck cancer.

OBJECTIVE: Patient and treatment characteristics of patients with head and neck cancer (HNSCC) were correlated with dysphagia scored on swallowing-videofluoroscopy (VFS) and with patient- and physician-scored dysphagia. METHODS: 63 HNSCC patients treated with radiotherapy (RT) were evaluated at baseline, and 6 and 12 months post-RT. VFS was scored with Penetration Aspiration Scale (PAS) and Swallowing Performance Scale (SPS). Physician- and patient-scored dysphagia were prospectively recorded according to Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events scoring system, Radiation Therapy Oncology Group/EORTC scoring system and European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life questionnaire (EORTC-QLQ H&N35). RESULTS: Univariable analysis revealed a significant association between tumour-subsite and higher SPS (p = 0.02) and patient-scored dysphagia (p = 0.02) at baseline. At 12 months, tumour-subsite was significantly associated with higher PAS and SPS. Multivariable analysis and pairwise comparison showed that hypopharyngeal cancer and carcinoma of unknown primary  were associated with higher SPS at baseline and at 12 months, respectively (p = 0.03 and p = 0.01). Upfront neck dissection (UFND) was significantly associated with higher SPS and physician-scored dysphagia in univariable analysis at all timepoints. At 12 months, there was also a significant association with higher PAS (p < 0.01) and patient-scored dysphagia (p < 0.01). After multivariable analysis, the association between UFND and higher PAS (p < 0.01) and SPS (p < 0.01) remained significant at 12 months. CONCLUSION: Hypopharyngeal tumours and carcinoma of unknown primary were related to more dysphagia at baseline and at 12 months, respectively. Furthermore, UFND was associated with more severe dysphagia scored by physicians and patients and on VFS at 12 months. Advances in knowledge: This is the first paper reporting a significant link between UFND and late dysphagia scored with VFS. We advocate abandoning UFND and preserving neck dissection as a salvage option post-RT.

Does the total dysphagia risk score correlate with swallowing function examined by videofluoroscopy?

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to correlate the total dysphagia risk score (TDRS) with swallowing function as measured by videofluoroscopy of swallowing using the swallowing performance scale (SPS) and the penetration aspiration scale (PAS). METHODS: 63 patients from two different centres treated with radiotherapy for head and neck cancer were evaluated in the current study. Swallowing videofluoroscopies at baseline, 6 and 12 months following radiotherapy were evaluated by two observers. The TDRS of all patients was calculated and correlated with the consensus PAS and SPS scores of the two observers. RESULTS: Regarding the PAS scale, we did not observe a significant correlation with the TDRS. Regarding SPS, we found a significant correlation at 6 months (p = 0.01) and a borderline significant correlation at 12 months (p = 0.05). We observed statistically lower SPS scores for patients in the intermediate-risk category when compared to the high-risk category. When we compared low vs high TDRS risk patients, we did not observe a significant difference regarding SPS scores. When comparing low- vs intermediate-risk patients, we observed higher SPS scores in the low-risk group (p = 0.01). When the low- and intermediate-risk patients were grouped together, we observed less swallowing problems as measured by SPS in the low and intermediate group when compared to the high-risk group (p = 0.05) at 6 months. CONCLUSION: Patients with high-risk TDRS scores have higher SPS scores when compared to the intermediate group and the intermediate- and low-risk group together. However, low-risk patients in our patient cohort could not be distinguished from high or intermediate-risk patients. Advances in knowledge: TDRS was never correlated with videofluoroscopies in past studies. The hypothesis of this paper was to see if the TDRS could guide us to see which patients are at risk for high scores on SPS and PAS and might need a videofluoroscopic examination in the follow up. Given the poor correlations in our study, however, we cannot recommend the use of the TDRS to select patients who might benefit from the additional information provided by videofluoroscopies.

A cross-sectional study comparing lateral and diagonal maximum weight shift in people with stroke and healthy controls and the correlation with balance, gait and fear of falling.

Impaired balance is common post stroke and can be assessed by means of force-platforms measuring center of pressure (COP) displacements during static standing, or more dynamically during lateral maximum weight shift (MWS). However, activities of daily life also include diagonal MWS and since force platforms are nowadays commercially available, investigating lateral and diagonal MWS in a clinical setting might be feasible and clinically relevant. We investigated lateral and diagonal MWS while standing in patients with stroke (PwS) and healthy controls (HC), evaluated MWS towards the affected and the non-affected side for PwS and correlated MWS with measures of balance, gait and fear of falling. In a cross-sectional observational study including 36 ambulatory sub-acute inpatients and 32 age-matched HC, a force platform (BioRescue, RM Ingénierie, France) was used to measure lateral and diagonal MWS in standing. Clinical outcome measures collected were Berg Balance Scale and Community Balance and Mobility Scale (CBMS) for balance, 10-meter walk test (10MWT) for gait speed and Falls Efficacy Scale-international version for fear of falling. MWS for PwS towards the affected side was significantly smaller compared to HC (lateral: p = 0.029; diagonal-forward: p = 0.000). MWS for PwS was also significantly reduced towards the affected side in the diagonal-forward direction (p = 0.019) compared to the non-affected side of PwS. Strong correlations were found for MWS for PwS in the diagonal-forward direction towards the affected side, and clinical measures of balance (CBMS: r = 0.66) and gait speed (10MWT: r = 0.66). Our study showed that ambulatory sub-acute PwS, in comparison to HC, have decreased ability to shift their body weight diagonally forward in standing towards their affected side. This reduced ability is strongly related to clinical measures of balance and gait speed. Our results suggest that MWS in a diagonal-forward direction should receive attention in rehabilitation of ambulatory sub-acute PwS in an inpatient setting.

[The use of fall prevention strategies in home care: a survey in Flanders]. / Het toepassen van valpreventiemaatregelen bij thuiswonende ouderen: een survey onderzoek in Vlaanderen.

OBJECTIVES: Falls in community-dwelling older persons occur frequently. The consequences emphasize the need to screen systematically for an increased fall risk and a targeted multifactorial and multidisciplinary approach. This study describes the extent to which fall prevention strategies are applied by primary healthcare workers in Flanders. Insight in barriers is provided. METHOD: An online survey was collected by the Centre of Expertise for Falls and fracture Prevention Flanders. RESULTS: 1483 respondents are included. 93% are confronted monthly with falls. 96% believe they can make a positive contribution to fall prevention. At least once a year, respondents inquire about falls (62%) and screen for gait/balance problems (84%). A multifactorial assessment is performed in case of a recent fall (95%) or an increased fall risk (76%). Most frequently respondents give advice on safe environment/behaviour (93%), walking aid (91%), personal alarm system (89%) and footwear (85%). Unmotivated older persons (75%) who ignore their fall risk (85%), insufficient time (60%), financial compensation (54%), staff (50%), communication (31%) and knowledge (23%) are important barriers. CONCLUSIONS: Although respondents are aware of the importance of fall prevention, these results reveal a necessity of sufficient knowledge, structured multidisciplinary cooperation and a clear policy. Raising awareness of older persons remains crucial.

Implementation of fall prevention in residential care facilities: A systematic review of barriers and facilitators.

OBJECTIVES: To identify the barriers and facilitators for fall prevention implementation in residential care facilities. DESIGN: Systematic review. Review registration number on PROSPERO: CRD42013004655. DATA SOURCES: Two independent reviewers systematically searched five databases (i.e. MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and Web of Science) and the reference lists of relevant articles. REVIEW METHODS: This systematic review was conducted in line with the Center for Reviews and Dissemination Handbook and reported according to the PRISMA guideline. Only original research focusing on determinants of fall prevention implementation in residential care facilities was included. We used the Mixed Method Appraisal Tool for quality appraisal. Thematic analysis was performed for qualitative data; quantitative data were analyzed descriptively. To synthesize the results, we used the framework of Grol and colleagues that describes six healthcare levels wherein implementation barriers and facilitators can be identified. RESULTS: We found eight relevant studies, identifying 44 determinants that influence implementation. Of these, 17 were facilitators and 27 were barriers. Results indicated that the social and organizational levels have the greatest number of influencing factors (9 and 14, respectively), whereas resident and economical/political levels have the least (3 and 4, respectively). The most cited facilitators were good communication and facility equipment availability, while staff feeling overwhelmed, helpless, frustrated and concerned about their ability to control fall management, staffing issues, limited knowledge and skills (i.e., general clinical skill deficiencies, poor fall management skills or lack of computer skills); and poor communication were the most cited barriers. CONCLUSION: Successful implementation of fall prevention depends on many factors across different healthcare levels. The focus of implementation interventions, however, should be on modifiable barriers and facilitators such as communication, knowledge, and skills. Effective fall prevention must consist of multifactorial interventions that target each resident's fall risk profile, and should be tailored to overcome context-specific barriers and put into action the identified facilitators.

Long-term impact of stroke on patients' health-related quality of life.

PURPOSE: This international study aims to examine the size and determinants of the impact of stroke on five-year survivors' health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in four different European countries. METHOD: Patients were recruited consecutively in four European rehabilitation centers. Five years after stroke, the EuroQol-visual analog scale (EQ-VAS) was administered in 226 first-ever stroke patients. Impact of stroke was determined by calculating EQ-VAS z-norm scores (= deviation - expressed in SD - of patients' EQ-VAS level relative to their age-and gender-matched national population norms). Determinants of EQ-VAS z-norm scores were identified using multivariate linear regression analysis. RESULTS: Five years post-stroke, patients' mean EQ-VAS was 63.74 (SD = 19.33). Mean EQ-VAS z-norm score was -0.57 [95%CI: (-0.70)-(-0.42)]. Forty percent of the patients had an EQ-VAS z-norm score <-0.75 SD; 52% had an EQ-VAS z-norm score between -0.75 and +0.75 SD, only 8% scored >+0.75 SD. Higher patients' levels of depression, anxiety and disability were associated with increasingly negative EQ-VAS z-norm scores (adjusted R2 = 0.392). CONCLUSIONS: Five years after stroke, mean HRQoL of stroke survivors showed large variability and was more than ½ SD below population norm. Forty percent had a HRQoL level below, 52% on, and 8% above population norm. The variability could only partially be explained by the variables considered in this study. Longitudinal studies are needed to increase our understanding of the size and determinants of the impact of stroke on the HRQoL of long-term stroke survivors. Implications for rehabilitation The current European concept of stroke rehabilitation is focused on the acute and sub-acute rehabilitation phase, i.e., in the first months after stroke. The results of this study show that at five years after stroke, the mean level of HRQoL of stroke survivors remains below the healthy population level. This finding shows the need for continuation of rehabilitation in the chronic phase. At five years after stroke, higher patients' levels of depression, anxiety and disability were associated with lower scores for HRQoL. This finding implicates that chronic rehabilitation programs should be multi-faceted in order to increase long-term survivors' psychosocial outcomes.

[Policy recommendations for the implementation of fall and fracture prevention in community-dwelling older persons]. / Beleidsaanbevelingen omtrent de implementatie van val- en fractuurpreventie bij thuiswonende ouderen.

Several factors impede the implementation of effective strategies for fall and fracture prevention. The Centre of Expertise for Fall & Fracture prevention Flanders organized a symposium, "Implementation of fall en fracture prevention in older people", with the aim to elaborate on the facilitation of effective strategies for falls and fall-related injuries in community-dwelling older people in Flanders. This article summarizes the main bottlenecks for implementation and provides recommendations for optimizing dissemination and implementation.

A comparative study of medication use after stroke in four countries.

OBJECTIVES: The use of medication plays an important role in secondary stroke prevention and treatment of post-stroke comorbidities. The Collaborative Evaluation of Rehabilitation in Stroke across Europe (CERISE) was set up to investigate the inpatient stroke rehabilitation process in four centres, each in a different European country: Belgium, Germany, United Kingdom and Switzerland. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients' medication use 5 years post-stroke was compared between countries. Focus was put on cerebrovascular secondary prevention, including (a) adequate antithrombotic treatment, (b) treatment of cardiovascular comorbidities and diabetes, and (c) the use of lipid-lowering drugs; as well as on the treatment of stroke-related disorders such as depression, anxiety and pain. RESULTS: Medication data were available for 247 patients. Data about depression and anxiety were available for 233. CONCLUSION: There were no significant differences between the four centres in antithrombotic treatment and in the treatment of cardiovascular comorbidities and diabetes. However, significantly more patients from the UK were treated with lipid-lowering drugs compared to Belgian patients. Significant differences were also observed between the centres in the prevalence and treatment of depression. More Belgian patients suffered from depression compared to German patients and significantly more Belgian patients took antidepressants than patients in Germany. This was in contrast to the prevalence and treatment of anxiety and pain, for which no significant differences between the centres were seen. Related to pain treatment, it was observed that almost 40% of all patients suffering from pain, used no specific medication.

Exploring the relationship between fall risk-increasing drugs and fall-related fractures.

BACKGROUND: Hospital admissions due to fall-related fractures are a major problem in the aging population. Several risk factors have been identified, including drug use. Most studies often retrieved prescription-only drugs from national databases. These are associated with some limitations as they do not always reliably reproduce the complete patient's active drug list. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the association between the number of FRIDs intake identified by a standardised medication reconciliation process and a fall-related fracture leading to a hospital admission in older adults. SETTING: The first cohort has been recruited from one traumatology ward of a tertiary teaching hospital in Belgium and the second cohort has been recruited from 11 community pharmacies in Belgium. METHOD: A prospective study with two individually matched cohorts was performed. Adult patients (≥75 years) admitted with an injury due to a fall were included in the first cohort (faller group). The second cohort consisted of patients who did not suffer from a fall within the last 6 months (non-faller group). Matching was performed for age, gender, place of residence and use of a walking aid. In both groups, clinical pharmacists and undergraduate pharmacy students obtained the medication history, using a standardised approach. A list of drugs considered to increase the risk of falling was created. It included cardiovascular drugs and drugs acting on the nervous system. A linear mixed model was used to compare the number of fall risk-increasing drugs between fallers and non-fallers. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: The number of fall risk-increasing drugs in a faller versus a non-faller group. RESULTS: Sixty-one patients were matched with 121 non-fallers. Patients received on average 3.1 ± 2.1 and 3.2 ± 1.8 fall risk-increasing drugs in the faller and in the non-faller group, respectively. The mean number of fall risk-increasing drugs was comparable in both groups (p = 0.844), even after adjusting for alcohol consumption, fear of falling, vision and foot problems (p = 0.721). CONCLUSION: In a sample of hospitalised patients admitted for a fall-related injury, no significant difference in the number of fall risk-increasing drugs versus that of an outpatient group of non-fallers was found.

Bolus Residue Scale: An Easy-to-Use and Reliable Videofluoroscopic Analysis Tool to Score Bolus Residue in Patients with Dysphagia.

Background. We aimed to validate an easy-to-use videofluoroscopic analysis tool, the bolus residue scale (BRS), for detection and classification of pharyngeal retention in the valleculae, piriform sinuses, and/or the posterior pharyngeal wall. Methods. 50 randomly selected videofluoroscopic images of 10 mL swallows (recorded in 18 dysphagia patients and 8 controls) were analyzed by 4 experts and 6 nonexpert observers. A score from 1 to 6 was assigned according to the number of structures affected by residue. Inter- and intrarater reliabilities were assessed by calculation of intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) for expert and nonexpert observers. Sensitivity, specificity, and interrater agreement were analyzed for different BRS levels. Results. Intrarater reproducibility was almost perfect for experts (mean ICC 0.972) and ranged from substantial to almost perfect for nonexperts (mean ICC 0.835). Interjudge agreement of the experts ranged from substantial to almost perfect (mean ICC 0.780), but interrater reliability of nonexperts ranged from substantial to good (mean 0.719). BRS shows for experts a high specificity and sensitivity and for nonexperts a low sensitivity and high specificity. Conclusions. The BRS is a simple, easy-to-carry-out, and accessible rating scale to locate pharyngeal retention on videofluoroscopic images with a good specificity and reproducibility for observers of different expertise levels.

[A 74 year old patient with recurrent shock caused by hypopituitarism]. / Een 74-jarige patiënte met een recidiverend shockbeeld veroorzaakt door een onderliggend hypopituïtarisme.

This article analyzes the case of a 74 year old patient who was hospitalized four times with recurrent complaints, which consisted of hypothermia, hypotension, weakness, and a hyponatremia, and were always caused by an underlying acute infection. Laboratory results showed an hypothyroidism, a secondary adrenal insufficiency, a secondary hypogonadism, and a growth hormone deficiency, which led to a diagnosis of pituitary dysfunction. Magnetic resonance imaging of the brain showed an 'empty sella', a non-visualization of the pituitary gland caused by an herniation of a supra-sellar cistern into the pituitary fossa. Considering the lack of an underlying pituitary tumor, a treatment consisting of partial hormonal substitution was started, eventually resulting in the full recovery of the patient.

[Delayed neurological syndrome after CO intoxication of elderly female]. / Laattijdige neuropsychologisch syndroom na CO-intoxicatie bij een bejaarde vrouw.

This article discusses the case history of an 87-year old woman with loss of consciousness following accidental CO intoxication. A few weeks later, the patient's cognitive abilities progressively deteriorated. This is hence a case of Delayed Neurological Symptoms after CO intoxication. This condition occurs in 40% of patients with CO intoxication and manifests itself 3-240 days after apparent recovery. Symptoms can linger for a long time and are in some cases even permanent. Treatment of CO intoxication usually consists of administering normobaric oxygen and in certain cases hyperbaric oxygen. The role of treatment with hyberbaric oxygen in delayed neurological symptoms after CO intoxication remains controversial, however.

Functional and motor outcome 5 years after stroke is equivalent to outcome at 2 months: follow-up of the collaborative evaluation of rehabilitation in stroke across Europe.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Recovery of patients within the first 6 months after stroke is well documented, but there has been little research on long-term recovery. The aim of this study was to analyze functional and motor recovery between admission to rehabilitation centres and 5 years after stroke. METHODS: This follow-up of the Collaborative Evaluation of Rehabilitation in Stroke Across Europe study, included patients from 4 European rehabilitation centres. Patients were assessed on admission, at 2 and 6 months, and 5 years after stroke, using the Barthel Index, Rivermead Motor Assessment Gross Function, Leg and Trunk function, and Arm function. Linear mixed models were used, corrected for baseline characteristics. To account for the drop-out during follow-up, the analysis is likelihood-based (assumption of missingness at random). RESULTS: A total of 532 patients were included in this study, of which 238 were followed up at 5 years post stroke. Mean age at stroke onset was 69 (±10 SD) years, 53% were men, 84% had ischemic strokes, and 53% had left-sided motor impairment. Linear mixed model analysis revealed a significant deterioration for all 4 outcomes between 6 months and 5 years (P<0.0001). Scores at 2 months were not statistically significant different from scores at 5 years after stroke. Higher age (P<0.0001) and increasing stroke severity on admission (P<0.0001) negatively affected long-term functional and motor recovery. CONCLUSIONS: Five-year follow-up revealed deterioration in functional and motor outcome, with a return to the level measured at 2 months. Increasing age and increasing stroke severity negatively affected recovery up to 5 years after stroke.

Pressure flow analysis in the assessment of preswallow pharyngeal bolus presence in Dysphagia.

Objectives. Preswallow pharyngeal bolus presence is evident in patients with oropharyngeal dysphagia. Pressure flow analysis (PFA) using high resolution manometry with impedance (HRMI) with AIMplot software is a method for objective interpretation of pharyngeal and upper esophageal sphincter (UES) pressures and bolus flow patterns during swallowing. This study aimed to observe alterations in PFA metrics in the event of preswallow pharyngeal bolus presence as seen on videofluoroscopy (VFSS). Methods. Swallows from 40 broad dysphagia patients and 8 controls were recorded with a HRMI catheter during simultaneous VFSS. Evidence of bolus presence and level reached prior to pharyngeal swallow onset was recorded. AIMPlot software derived automated PFA functional metrics. Results. Patients with bolus movement to the pyriform sinuses had a higher SRI, indicating greater swallow dysfunction. Amongst individual metrics, TNadImp to PeakP was shorter and flow interval longer in patient groups compared to controls. A higher pharyngeal mean impedance and UES mean impedance differentiated the two patient groups. Conclusions. This pilot study identifies specific altered PFA metrics in patients demonstrating preswallow pharyngeal bolus presence to the pyriform sinuses. PFA metrics may be used to guide diagnosis and treatment of patients with oropharyngeal dysphagia and track changes in swallow function over time.

Characteristics and effectiveness of fall prevention programs in nursing homes: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

OBJECTIVES: To determine characteristics and effectiveness of prevention programs on fall-related outcomes in a defined setting. DESIGN: Systematic review and meta-analysis. SETTING: A clearly described subgroup of nursing homes defined as residential facilities that provide 24-hour-a-day surveillance, personal care, and limited clinical care for persons who are typically elderly and infirm. PARTICIPANTS: Nursing home residents (N = 22,915). MEASUREMENTS: The primary outcomes were number of falls, fallers, and recurrent fallers. RESULTS: Thirteen studies met the inclusion criteria. Six fall prevention programs were single (one intervention component provided to the residents), one was multiple (two or more intervention components not customized to individual fall risk), and six were multifactorial (two or more intervention components customized to each resident's fall risk). Meta-analysis found significantly fewer recurrent fallers in the intervention groups (4 studies, relative risk (RR) = 0.79, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.65-0.97) but no significant effect of the intervention on fallers (6 studies, RR = 0.97, 95% CI = 0.84-1.11) or falls (10 studies, RR = 0.93, 95% CI = 0.76-1.13). Multifactorial interventions significantly reduced falls (4 studies, RR = 0.67, 95% CI = 0.55-0.82) and the number of recurrent fallers (4 studies, RR = 0.79, CI = 0.65-0.97), whereas single or multiple interventions did not. Training and education showed a significant harmful effect in the intervention groups on the number of falls (2 studies, RR = 1.29, 95% CI = 1.23-1.36). CONCLUSION: This meta-analysis failed to reveal a significant effect of fall prevention interventions on falls or fallers but, for the first time, showed that fall prevention interventions significantly reduced the number of recurrent fallers by 21%.

Long-term prediction of functional outcome after stroke using single items of the Barthel Index at discharge from rehabilitation centre.

PURPOSE: To determine the prognostic value of single items of the Barthel Index (BI) at discharge from rehabilitation, in predicting independence in personal activities of daily living (ADL) (BI score ≥ 95/100) at five years after stroke. METHOD: People with stroke were recruited consecutively from four European rehabilitation centres. BI was assessed on discharge and at five years after stroke. Stepwise multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to determine independent predictors of BI score ≥ 95/100 at five years after stroke. Thereupon, percentage chance of reaching BI ≥ 95/100 at five years after stroke was calculated. RESULTS: Data were available for 153 patients. Independence in dressing (odds ratio (OR)=5.22, 95% confidence interval (CI)=1.85-14.76, p=0.002) and bathing (OR=8.10, 95% CI=3.40-19.32, p<0.0001) were independent predictors. Independence in both items resulted in 74.1% (57.6-85.8) chance of reaching BI ≥ 95/100 at five years after stroke. Dependence in both items resulted in 6.3% (5.1-7.9) chance. Independence in bathing, but dependence in dressing resulted in 35.4% (30.7-40.4) chance whereas the opposite resulted in 26.1% (20.7-32.3) chance. CONCLUSION: Simple assessment of dressing and bathing on discharge from rehabilitation enables therapeutic staff to predict prognosis for long-term independence in personal ADL. This method can be used for early identification of persons with stroke who need intensive follow-up. Implications for Rehabilitation (In)dependence for dressing and bathing at discharge from a rehabilitation centre are significant factors in the prediction of (in)dependence in personal ADL at five years after stroke. This predictive tool can be used for targeting inpatient stroke rehabilitation and early identification of those patients who need intensive follow-up.

Fall incidents unraveled: a series of 26 video-based real-life fall events in three frail older persons.

BACKGROUND: For prevention and detection of falls, it is essential to unravel the way in which older people fall. This study aims to provide a description of video-based real-life fall events and to examine real-life falls using the classification system by Noury and colleagues, which divides a fall into four phases (the prefall, critical, postfall and recovery phase). METHODS: Observational study of three older persons at high risk for falls, residing in assisted living or residential care facilities: a camera system was installed in each participant's room covering all areas, using a centralized PC platform in combination with standard Internet Protocol (IP) cameras. After a fall, two independent researchers analyzed recorded images using the camera position with the clearest viewpoint. RESULTS: A total of 30 falls occurred of which 26 were recorded on camera over 17 months. Most falls happened in the morning or evening (62%), when no other persons were present (88%). Participants mainly fell backward (initial fall direction and landing configuration) on the pelvis or torso and none could get up unaided. In cases where a call alarm was used (54%), an average of 70 seconds (SD=64; range 15-224) was needed to call for help. Staff responded to the call after an average of eight minutes (SD=8.4; range 2-33). Mean time on the ground was 28 minutes (SD=25.4; range 2-59) without using a call alarm compared to 11 minutes (SD=9.2; range 3-38) when using a call alarm (p=0.445).The real life falls were comparable with the prefall and recovery phase of Noury's classification system. The critical phase, however, showed a prolonged duration in all falls. We suggest distinguishing two separate phases: a prolonged loss of balance phase and the actual descending phase after failure to recover balance, resulting in the impact of the body on the ground. In contrast to the theoretical description, the postfall phase was not typically characterized by inactivity; this depended on the individual. CONCLUSIONS: This study contributes to a better understanding of the fall process in private areas of assisted living and residential care settings in older persons at high risk for falls.