COMPrehensive geriatric AsseSSment and multidisciplinary team intervention for hospitalised older adults (COMPASS): a protocol of pragmatic trials within a cohort.

INTRODUCTION: There is an increased demand for services for hospitalised older patients with acute medical conditions due to rapidly ageing population. The COMPrehensive geriatric AsseSSment and multidisciplinary team intervention for hospitalised older adults (COMPASS) study will test the effectiveness of comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) and multidisciplinary intervention by comparing it with conventional care among acute hospitalised older adults in Korea. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: A multicentre trial within a cohort comprising three substudies (randomised controlled trials) will be conducted. The intervention includes CGA and CGA-based multidisciplinary interventions by physicians (geriatricians, oncologists), nurses, nutritionists and pharmacists. The multidisciplinary intervention includes nutritional support, medication review and adjustment, rehabilitation, early discharge planning and prevention of geriatric syndromes (falls, delirium, pressure sore and urinary retention). The analysis will be based on an intention-to-treat principle. The primary outcome is living at home 3 months after discharge. In addition to assessing the economic effects of the intervention, a cost-utility analysis will be conducted. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The study protocol was reviewed and approved by the ethics committees of Seoul National University Bundang Hospital and each study site. The study findings will be published in peer-reviewed journals. Subgroup and further in-depth analyses will subsequently be published. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: KCT0006270.

Frailty and Disability in Diabetes.

Diabetes is an important health problem with the population aging. Previously, it is well established that diabetes is associated with microvascular and macrovascular complications, but recently, several data suggest that diabetes is accompanied with frailty as well as disability among the older adults. Considering the clinical significance of frailty and disability, it is important to understand the pathway from diabetes to frailty and/or disability. Additionally, it is strongly recommended to find a new therapeutic intervention are required to meet the increasing demand of managing older diabetic patients with the population aging.

Impact of frailty on do-not-resuscitate orders and healthcare transitions among elderly Koreans with pneumonia.

PURPOSE: Pneumonia poses a significant health risk in aging societies. We aimed to elucidate the determinative value of frailty for do-not-resuscitate (DNR) orders in pneumonia patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This was a retrospective cohort study conducted at the Seoul National University Bundang Hospital (SNUBH) in Korea. Medical records of 431 pneumonia patients, aged 65 years and older, who were admitted between June 2014 and May 2015 were analyzed. Patients were categorized into DNR and no-DNR groups. RESULTS: Among the 65 patients (15.1% of pneumonia patients) who completed DNR documents, 24 patients were survived, and 21 patients decided imminent to death (<24 hours before death), with all decisions determined by surrogates. The DNR group tended to be older and frail, with higher rates of renal impairment and malnutrition, and had a lower microbiology detection effort than the no-DNR group. The DNR group used a high number of broad-spectrum antibiotics, experienced high levels of in-hospital (63.1% vs 5.7%, P<0.001) and 30-day (64.6% vs 9.6%, P<0.001) mortality rates, and had prolonged hospital stays (median length of hospital stay, 12 vs 9 days, P=0.020). Frailty was independently associated with DNR status even after adjustment for sepsis, septic shock, and the pneumonia severity index (PSI) score. Frailty also significantly influenced healthcare setting transitions after adjustment for sepsis, septic shock, and the PSI. CONCLUSION: We identified the factors associated with DNR orders and their prognoses among elderly Koreans with pneumonia. Frailty was significantly associated with DNR decision and healthcare setting transitions in pneumonia patients.

The double-sidedness of cough in the elderly.

Cough is a physiological reflex to protect airways against aspiration, but also it is one of the most frequent problems that lead patients to seek medical care. Chronic cough is more prevalent in the elderly than younger subjects, and more challenging to manage due to frequent comorbidities and possible side effects from drug treatment. Meanwhile, cough reflex does not decrease with natural aging but is often impaired by pathologic conditions like stroke. The impairment in cough reflex may lead to fatal complication like aspiration pneumonia. In this paper, we reviewed epidemiology and clinical considerations for chronic cough in the elderly, and summarized aging-related changes in cough reflex and also possible ways to normalize cough reflex and prevent aspiration pneumonia.

Simple Method of Screening for Frailty in Older Adults Using a Chronometer and Tape Measure in Clinic.

OBJECTIVES: Detecting frailty in older adults scheduled for surgery is important to predict the occurrence of adverse outcomes, but because of its complexity, frailty screening is not commonly performed. The objective of the current study was to assess whether frailty can be screened for using automatically measured usual gait speed (UGS) and mid-arm circumference (MAC) in the outpatient clinic. DESIGN: Prospective, cross-sectional study. SETTING: Geriatric center of a tertiary hospital. PARTICIPANTS: Outpatients aged 65 and older (N = 113). MEASUREMENTS: Frailty status was evaluated according to a multidimensional frailty score (MFS) using a comprehensive geriatric assessment, and participants were classified into 5 categories. UGS was evaluated by having participants walk through the clinic using an automated laser-gated chronometer. MAC was recorded using a tape measure on a blood pressure cuff. Correlations between these two physical measurements and MFS were assessed. RESULTS: The mean age of the 93 participants who successfully underwent UGS evaluation was 75.8 ± 4.7; 35 were male. In this population, the mean Charlson Comorbidity Index was 2.2 ± 1.4, mean MFS was 4.1 ± 2.0, and 20 participants were considered to be at high risk of experiencing adverse outcomes. Mean UGS was 0.75 ± 0.16 m/s, and mean MAC was 31.2 ± 1.9 cm); both physical parameters were correlated with MFS (UGS: standardized beta = -0.420, P < .001; MAC: standardized beta = -0.457, P < .001). Using UGS and MFS, the area under curve of receiver operating curve for determining which participants were at high risk of experiencing adverse outcomes was 0.809 (P < .001). CONCLUSION: UGS and MAC are viable methods of clinically screening for frailty.

Association between Frailty and Hypertension Prevalence, Treatment, and Control in the Elderly Korean Population.

Frailty is a common geriatric syndrome characterized by increased risk of disability, hospitalization, and mortality. Hypertension (HTN) is one of the most common chronic medical conditions in the elderly. However, there have been few studies regarding the association between frailty and HTN prevalence, treatment, and control rates. We analyzed data of 4,352 older adults (age ≥ 65 years) from the fifth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. We constructed a frailty index based on 42 items and classified participants as robust, pre-frail, or frail. Of the subjects, 2,697 (62.0%) had HTN and 926 (21.3%) had pre-HTN. Regarding frailty status, 721 (16.6%), 1,707 (39.2%), and 1,924 (44.2%) individuals were classified as robust, pre-frail and frail, respectively. HTN prevalence was higher in frail elderly (67.8%) than pre-frail (60.8%) or robust elderly (49.2%) (P < 0.001). Among hypertensive patients, frail elderly were more likely to be treated than pre-frail or robust elderly (P < 0.001), but the proportion of patients whose blood pressure was under control ( < 150/90 mmHg) was lower in frail elderly (P = 0.005). Considering the adverse cardiovascular outcomes associated with frailty, more attention should be paid to the blood pressure control of the frail elderly.

Prediction of Mortality and Postoperative Complications using the Hip-Multidimensional Frailty Score in Elderly Patients with Hip Fracture.

High mortality and dependent living after hip fracture pose a significant public health concern. Retrospective study was conducted with 481 hip fracture patients (≥65 years of age) undergoing surgery from March 2009 to May 2014. The Hip-MFS was calculated by Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment (CGA). The primary outcome was the 6-month all-cause mortality rate. The secondary outcomes were 1-year all-cause mortality, postoperative complications and prolonged hospital stay, and institutionalization. Thirty-five patients (7.3%) died within 6 months after surgery (median [interquartile range], 2.9 [1.4-3.9] months). The fully adjusted hazard ratio per 1 point increase in Hip-MFS was 1.458 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.210-1.758) for 6-months mortality and odds ratio were 1.239 (95% CI: 1.115-1.377), 1.156 (95% CI: 1.031-1.296) for postoperative complications and prolonged total hospital stay, respectively. High-risk patients (Hip-MFS > 8) showed higher risk of 6-month mortality (hazard ratio: 3.545, 95% CI: 1.466-8.572) than low-risk patients after adjustment. Hip-MFS successfully predict 6-month mortality, postoperative complications and prolonged hospital stay in elderly hip fracture patients after surgery. Hip-MFS more precisely predict 6-month mortality than age or existing tools (P values of comparison of ROC curve: 0.002, 0.004, and 0.044 for the ASA classification, age and NHFS, respectively).

Clinical implication of frailty assessment in older patients with atrial fibrillation.

BACKGROUND: We aimed to show the frailty status in older AF patients, and to find the association between frailty and the scores of CHA2DS2-VASc and HAS-BLED. Ultimately, we sought to investigate the impact of frailty on cardiovascular and all-cause mortality in older AF patients. METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated 365 patients (≥65years old) with AF, who underwent comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) between 2007 and 2014 in a single tertiary hospital. The CHA2DS2-VASc and HAS-BLED scores were calculated based on the electronic medical records and the frailty index was computed from the CGA data. The primary outcomes were cardiovascular and all-cause mortality. RESULTS: Frailty status was positively associated with the CHA2DS2-VASc score (P<0.001) and the HAS-BLED score (P=0.01). Patients with high CHA2DS2-VASc and HAS-BLED scores were more likely to be treated with anticoagulants rather than antiplatelet agents. However, frailty status was not associated with antithrombotic therapy. During the follow-up period (median [interquartile range], 22.9 [8.4-42.2] months), 141 patients (38.6%) died, of which 48 were due to cardiovascular events. CHA2DS2-VASc score could predict cardiovascular mortality, but not all-cause mortality. In contrast, frailty status was the independent predictor for both cardiovascular and all-cause mortality after adjusting for possible confounders (hazard ratio for all-cause mortality, 4.549; 95% CI, 2.756-7.509; P<0.001). CONCLUSION: Frailty assessment can be used to predict mortality in older AF patients, and provides additional prognostic value, along with the CHA2DS2-VASc and HAS-BLED scores.

The Korean version of the FRAIL scale: clinical feasibility and validity of assessing the frailty status of Korean elderly.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The fatigue, resistance, ambulation, illnesses, and loss of weight (FRAIL) scale is a screening tool for frailty status using a simple 5-item questionnaire. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical feasibility and validity of the Korean version of the FRAIL (K-FRAIL) scale. METHODS: Questionnaire items were translated and administered to 103 patients aged ≥ 65 years who underwent a comprehensive geriatric assessment at the Seoul National University Bundang Hospital. In this cross-sectional study, the K-FRAIL scale was compared with the domains and the multidimensional frailty index of the comprehensive geriatric assessment. We also assessed the time required to complete the scale. RESULTS: The participants' mean age was 76.8 years (standard deviation [SD], 6.1), and 55 (53.4%) were males. The mean overall frailty index was 0.19 (SD, 0.17). For K-FRAIL-robust, prefrail, and frail patients, the mean frailty indices were 0.09, 0.18, and 0.34, respectively (p for trend < 0.001). A higher degree of impairment in the K-FRAIL scale was associated with worse nutritional status, poor physical performance, functional dependence, and polypharmacy. The number of items with impairment in the K-FRAIL scale was positively associated with the frailty index (B = 3.73, p < 0.001). The K-FRAIL scale could differentiate vulnerability from robustness with a sensitivity of 0.90 and a specificity of 0.33. Of all patients, 75 (72.8%) completed the K-FRAIL scale within < 3 minutes. CONCLUSIONS: The K-FRAIL scale is correlated with the frailty index and is a simple tool to screen for frailty in a clinical setting.

Prediction of Postoperative Complications Using Multidimensional Frailty Score in Older Female Cancer Patients with American Society of Anesthesiologists Physical Status Class 1 or 2.

BACKGROUND: Even low-risk, elderly patients are at increased risk for postoperative morbidity compared with their younger counterparts. We sought to evaluate the role of a scoring model in predicting adverse surgical outcomes in low-risk, older, female cancer patients. STUDY DESIGN: From October 2011 to May 2014, two hundred and eighty-one low-risk female patients (aged 65 years and older, American Society of Anesthesiologists class 1 or 2) undergoing curative cancer surgery were included. The Multidimensional Frailty Score (MFS) was calculated by comprehensive geriatric assessment. The primary end point was postoperative complication (eg, pneumonia, urinary tract infection, delirium, acute pulmonary thromboembolism, and unplanned ICU admission). Secondary outcomes were length of hospital stay and institutionalization. RESULTS: Twenty patients experienced postoperative complications and 15 patients were discharged to nursing facilities. The fully adjusted odds ratio (OR) per 1-point increase in MFS was 1.412 (95% CI, 1.012-1.969; p = 0.042) for postoperative complications, 1.377 (95% CI, 0.935-2.026; p = 0.105) for institutionalization, and 1.411 (95% CI, 1.110-1.793; p = 0.005) for prolonged hospital stay. The high-risk group (MFS ≥7) showed an increased risk for postoperative complications (OR = 8.513; 95% CI, 2.210-32.785; p = 0.002), institutionalization (OR = 1.291; 95% CI, 0.324-5.152; p = 0.717), and prolonged hospital stay (OR = 2.336; 95% CI, 1.090-5.006; p = 0.029) compared with the low-risk group (MFS <7), after adjusting confounders. CONCLUSIONS: Multidimensional Frailty Score based on a preoperative comprehensive geriatric assessment is useful for predicting postoperative complications and prolonged hospital stay, even in low-risk elderly women who are undergoing cancer surgery.