Patient-Centered Paradigm for Managing Autonomic Long COVID Symptoms During Sports and Exercise.

ABSTRACT: This report highlights a new, patient-centered paradigm for managing post-COVID-19 dysautonomia symptoms during sports and exercise. The patient was a healthcare worker exposed before vaccination. She experienced postural orthostatic tachycardia plus exertional tachycardia, with postexertional fatigue, beginning a few weeks after testing positive for COVID-19. Stress test, echo, and an extensive dysautonomia evaluation were negative. Recommended nonpharmacological and pharmacological interventions were poorly tolerated. Prescription of a novel regimen of "basal-dose" ivabradine, plus very low-dose metoprolol according to an exertional "sliding scale" managed symptoms to an acceptable level for work and recreation.

HYPERGLYCEMIA AND HYPOGLYCEMIA IN PATIENTS WITH DIABETES IN SKILLED NURSING FACILITIES.

OBJECTIVE: Endocrinologists are faced with a growing elderly patient population with diabetes mellitus (DM), some of whom are in skilled nursing facilities (SNFs). Efforts at managing their DM is hampered by concerns for hypoglycemia. This study aimed to determine the frequency of hypo- and hyperglycemia in SNFs, and associated factors. METHODS: We reviewed medical records of 200 consecutive residents admitted to two SNFs in the Cleveland area in 2014 with documented DM, aged ≥65 years. Data collected included blood glucose (BG) levels and DM regimens. Frequency of hyper- and hypoglycemic events was noted. Since patients had different frequencies of BG checks, event-days were calculated. RESULTS: Mean age, BG, and glycated hemoglobin (±SD) were as follows: 80.2 ± 8.2 years, 172.4 ± 40.3 mg/dL, and 7.5 ± 1.9% (59 mmol/mol), respectively. Seventy-one percent were on insulin alone, 15.5% on insulin and oral diabetes agents, and 13.5% on oral diabetes agent on admission. Patients with at least one event were as follows: 38% hypoglycemia, 3.5% severe hypoglycemia, 90.5% hyperglycemia, and 15% severe hyperglycemia. Event-days were: 3.4% hypoglycemia and 52.4% hyperglycemia. Risk of hypoglycemia was highest with concomitant sulfonylurea and prandial or sliding-scale insulin. Hyperglycemia risk was high in basal insulin-containing regimens. CONCLUSION: Hypoglycemia was seen in one-third of patients, and hyperglycemia was common despite insulin use. Concomitant use of sulfonylurea and prandial or sliding-scale insulin is best avoided in this fragile population with hypo- and hyperglycemia. ABBREVIATIONS: ADA = American Diabetes Association BG = blood glucose DM = diabetes mellitus GLP-1 = glucagon-like peptide 1 HBA1c = glycated hemoglobin LOS = length of stay NPH = neutral protamine Hagedorn SNF = skilled nursing facility SSI = sliding-scale insulin.

Using Multisite Process Mapping to Aid Care Improvement: An Examination of Inpatient Suicide-Screening Procedures.

Although most suicides occur outside of medical settings, a critical and often overlooked subgroup of patients attempt and complete suicide within general medical and inpatient units. The purpose of this quality improvement initiative was to perform a baseline assessment of the current practices for suicide prevention within medical inpatient units across eight Veterans Affairs medical centers throughout the nation, as part of the VA Quality Scholars (VAQS) fellowship training program. In conjunction with the VAQS national curriculum, the authors and their colleagues used multisite process mapping and developed a heuristic process to identify best practices and improvement recommendations with the hopes of advancing knowledge related to a key organizational priority-suicide prevention. Findings demonstrate a multitude of benefits arising from this process, both in relation to system-level policy change as well as site-based clinical care. This interprofessional and multisite approach provided an avenue for process literacy and consensus building, resulting in the identification of strengths including the improvement of prevention efforts and accessibility of supportive resources, the discovery of opportunities for improvement related to risk detection and response and the patient centeredness of current prevention efforts, and the provision of solutions that aim to achieve sustained change across a complex health system.

Potentially inappropriate medications and adverse drug effects in elders in the ED.

The objective of this study was to examine the prevalence of potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs) and potential adverse drug effects (ADEs) in older adults presenting to the emergency department (ED). This was a prospective observational study of a convenience sample of adults 65 years and older presenting to the ED at an urban, tertiary care hospital. Potentially inappropriate medications were defined according to 2003 Beers criteria. Potential ADEs were defined as either (1) a potential drug-drug interaction, (2) alternative medication likely to cause toxicity or drug interactions, or (3) toxic doses of vitamins or minerals. Of 174 eligible patients, 124 were enrolled. The mean number of medications used per patient was 8.6 (range, 0-20). Thirty six patients (29%, 95% confidence interval, 27%-37%) presented to the ED with at least one PIM. Eight PIMs were prescribed in the ED, representing 16% of all prescriptions in the ED. Potential ADEs meeting the defined criteria were found in 26.6% of patients. A subanalysis of a random sample of charts revealed significant discordance between medication lists obtained by the research assistants and that of the health care providers. Older ED patients are at high risk for use of potentially inappropriate medications and ADEs. This problem may be magnified by inaccurate medication lists obtained by ED providers. A larger multicenter study may help to better define the scope of this problem.

Deprescribing Medications for Chronic Diseases Management in Primary Care Settings: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials.

OBJECTIVES: Perform a systematic review to evaluate the outcome of deprescription compared with standard care. The focus was on chronic medical and mental health conditions managed in primary care. DESIGN: The databases searched include PubMed, Medline, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, Scopus, and Web of Science. Each study was assessed for bias with the Cochrane Collaboration tool. SETTINGS AND PARTICIPANTS: This review included outpatient, assisted living, nursing home, and acute care settings (if medications for chronic disease were deprescribed). Subjects were non-terminally ill adults 18 years and older. MEASURES: Primary outcome was successful deprescription, defined as a statistically significant reduction in medication burden between the intervention group and the standard care or control group, or when more than 50% of intervention subjects were able to tolerate medication discontinuation compared with control by the end of the study. RESULTS: Fifty-eight articles met the study criteria. Thirty-three (58%) had a high risk of bias. Studies varied in duration from 4 weeks to 5 years and were conducted across a diverse array of primary health care settings. The most successful interventions used pharmacist-led educational interventions and patient-specific drug recommendations. Cardiovascular drugs including antihypertensives/diuretics and nitrates were the most successfully deprescribed class of drugs. Psychotropic medications and proton-pump inhibitors were the classes most resistant to deprescribing, despite intense intervention. CONCLUSIONS/IMPLICATIONS: Deprescription may be successful and effective in select classes of drugs, with collaboration of clinical pharmacists for patient and provider education, and patient-specific drug recommendations, complemented by close clinical follow-up to detect early signs of exacerbation of chronic diseases. This review also suggests that deprescription may (1) require expensive intensive, ongoing interventions by clinical teams; (2) not lead to expected outcomes such as improved falls rate, cognition, and quality of life, or a lower admission rate; and (3) have unexpected adverse outcomes affecting patients' quality of life.

Clinical Update on Nursing Home Medicine: 2017.

This is the 11th annual Clinical Update from the AMDA meeting article. This year the topics covered are hypertension after the Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial; chronic obstructive pulmonary disease risk factors, diagnosis and management including end-of-life planning, and the difficulties with exacerbations such as breathlessness; diagnosis and treatment of cognitive impairment and dementia; and wound care and pressure ulcer management.

Breast surgery: minimally invasive diagnosis and treatment.

The increasingly large proportion of elderly women in the United States population carries a disproportionate burden of breast cancer. The advent of minimally invasive surgical techniques applicable to breast disease has brought new opportunities to diagnose and treat breast cancer in the older population. This article reviews issues important to the evolving field of breast cancer management in older women: cancer risk and screening considerations, diagnosis and biopsy approaches, and surgical treatment options based on current studies and recommendations.

Pharmacological treatment of neuropsychiatric symptoms of dementia: a review of the evidence.

STUDY DESIGN AND OBJECTIVE: Systemic review of double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and meta-analyses of medication efficacy in the treatment of patients diagnosed with dementia and experiencing neuropsychiatric symptoms(hallucinations, delusions, agitation, aggression, combativeness, wandering). EXCLUSION CRITERIA: Studies were excluded if they reported only depression, if the medication was not available no longer used in the United States, or duplicated another study already included. DATA SOURCES: Medline of English articles between 1966 and June 2004, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, and a manual search by the authors for other relevant articles. OUTCOMES: Diverse outcome measures ranging from global benefit to behavioral rating scales. Some of the 29 reports listed several instruments; in total, 24 rating scales were used. Statistical outcome was described and some, but not all, noted clinical impression. Adverse outcomes were listed. RESULTS: The results were clustered in groups: conventional antipsychotics, atypicals, antidepressants, cholinesterase inhibitors, mood stabilizers, and others. Treatment duration ranged from 17 days to 16 weeks. Types of dementia and levels of severity varied. The authors reported little benefit and some evidence for harm for typical (or conventional) agents. In contrast, some RCTs of atypical antipsychotics reported "modest" benefit, with olanzapine and risperidone leading others. Although trials reported minimal side effects at low doses, authors acknowledged an increased risk for stroke. No studies adequately compared benefit of typical with atypical agents. With the possible exception of citalopram, antidepressant agents did not reduce agitation, but did improve depression. Cholinesterase inhibiting agents demonstrated significant efficacy toward behavior, while memantine had mixed results. Valproate did not prove to be efficacious, and results for carbamazepine were conflicting.

Validation of the HOSPITAL Score for 30-Day All-Cause Readmissions of Patients Discharged to Skilled Nursing Facilities.

OBJECTIVES: To validate the HOSPITAL score for predicting 30-day all-cause readmission rates in a cohort of medical patients discharged to skilled nursing facilities (SNFs). DESIGN: Retrospective cohort. SETTING: Cleveland Clinic Main Campus. PARTICIPANTS: Cleveland Clinic Main Campus medicine services patients who were admitted between January 1, 2011, and December 31, 2012, and subsequently discharged to 110 SNFs within a 25-mile radius of the hospital. MEASUREMENTS: Thirty-day all-cause readmissions to any hospital in the Cleveland Clinic Health System and the HOSPITAL score. RESULTS: During the study period, 4208 medical patients were discharged to 110 SNFs; 30-day all-cause readmission rates were 40.9% for high-risk patients, 28.1% for intermediate-risk patients, and 15.4% for low-risk patients. Compared to intermediate- and low-risk patients, high-risk patients had more hospitalizations in the past year (3.6 vs 1.1 vs 0.8; P < .0001), longer hospital stays (12.0 days vs 9.9 days vs 4.9 days; P < .0001) and more comorbidities, including end-stage renal disease (18.5% vs 9.3% vs 2.5%; P < .0001), congestive heart failure (39.9% vs 33.1% vs 26.1%; P < .0001), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (26.9% vs 21.5% vs 20.2%; P < .0001), and diabetes (46.5% vs 38.6% vs 35.3%; P < .0001). The c--statistic for the HOSPITAL score was 0.65. CONCLUSIONS: Among patients discharged to an SNF, the HOSPITAL score may be used to identify those at highest risk of readmission within 30 days.

Clinical Update on Nursing Home Medicine: 2016.

This is the tenth clinical update. It covers chronic kidney disease, dementia, hypotension, polypharmacy, rapid geriatric assessment, and transitional care.

Predictors of do not resuscitate orders in the nursing home.

BACKGROUND: The outcome of cardiopulmonary resuscitation of residents of long-term care facilities is poor. However, only about one half of residents of long term care facilities have a do not resuscitate (DNR) order. The remainder usually have resuscitation by order or by default policy. Understanding predictors of DNR may help clinicians address end-of-life issues with the older long-term care population. OBJECTIVES: To determine (1) the prevalence of DNR orders, and (2) predictors of DNR orders in older institutionalized individuals in a large community teaching nursing home. METHODS: A cross-sectional chart review study of 177 consecutively located older patients from an 899-bed academic long-term care facility. RESULTS: The prevalence of a DNR order was 40%. The frequency of ordering DNR was greater in subjects who were 85 years or older compared with subjects who were younger than 85 years (57% vs. 30%, P < .05). Ordering DNR was associated significantly with race (49% of whites compared with 13% African Americans, P < .05) but not with sex. Subjects with a DNR order were more likely to have been diagnosed with depression (52% vs. 35%, P < .05) but not dementia, and overall had greater number of medical conditions (5.9 +/- 2 vs. 5.1 +/- 2, P < .05) compared with subjects without DNR orders. The frequency of DNR orders did not significantly differ between subjects who were able to ambulate (with or without assistance) compared with subjects who were wheelchair or bed bound. Using logistic regression analysis, only age (with a B of -1.04 and P of .017) and race (with a B of 1.4 and a P of .01) were independent predictors of DNR status. CONCLUSION: Fewer than half of this sample of long-term care residents had a DNR order. Among seven factors studied, only age and race were independent predictors of DNR status in the nursing home.

Predictors of anticoagulation prescription in nursing home residents with atrial fibrillation.

OBJECTIVES: To determine predictors of oral anticoagulation (OAC) for atrial fibrillation (AF) in long-term care (LTC). DESIGN: Chart review. SETTING: Six LTC facilities in a metropolitan area. PARTICIPANTS: One hundred seventeen residents with AF identified from 934 total residents. MEASUREMENTS: Data was obtained from the medical chart, pharmacy record, and Minimum Data Set (MDS) regarding demographics, medical conditions, falls, fractures, gastrointestinal bleeding (GIB), peptic ulcer disease, dementia, anemia, and physical/cognitive function scales. The recursive partition algorithm was used to construct a model reflecting physician decision patterns that predict prescription of OAC. RESULTS: Among those 117 residents (12.5% of 934) who had AF (age, 84.6 +/- 8 years), OAC was prescribed for 54 (46%); aspirin or clopidogrel: 47 (40%); neither OAC nor any antithrombotic treatment (ATT): 25 (21%). Prior stroke was the primary determinant of OAC. Residents with prior stroke were less likely to be prescribed OAC if they had prior GIB, were non-Caucasian, or had no history of coronary artery disease (CAD). Those without a stroke were less likely to be prescribed OAC if they were younger, had dementia or lower functional status. CONCLUSION: Prior stroke was the primary predictor of OAC use. Our model suggests that physicians may also incorporate concerns of age, bleeding, cognitive and physical function, and ethnicity into the decision-making process. Further study is needed to explore the reasons why 21% of the residents receive neither OAC nor ATT, and why OAC may be less likely to be prescribed to non-Caucasian LTC residents.

Stand by me! Reducing the risk of injurious falls in older adults.

About one-third of community-dwelling adults age 65 and older fall each year, and some suffer fractures, traumatic brain injury, and even death. Therefore, it is important to identify older adults at risk and recommend helpful interventions.

Geriatrics update 2015: Vaccination, frailty, chronic disease guidelines, and cognition.

This paper discusses recent developments and recommendations for elderly patients concerning immunizations, heart failure, lipid therapy, blood pressure control, and dementia.

Effect of a Novel Interdisciplinary Teaching Program in the Care-continuum on Medical Student Knowledge and Self-Efficacy.

OBJECTIVES: Medical students report that they receive inadequate training in different levels of care, including care transitions to and from post-acute (PA) and long-term care (LTC). The authors implemented the Medical Students as Teachers in Extended Care (MedTEC) program as an educational innovation at the Cleveland Clinic to address training in the care-continuum, as well as the new medical student and physician competencies in PA/LTC. DESIGN: MedTEC is a 7-hour interactive program that supplements standard geriatric didactics during the medical student primary care rotation. This study evaluated the performance of the program in improving medical student knowledge and attitudes on levels and transitions of care. SETTING: The program occurs in a community facility that includes subacute/skilled nursing, assisted living, and nursing home care. PARTICIPANTS: Five to 8 students completing their primary care rotation at the Cleveland Clinic are required to participate in the MedTEC program each month. INTERVENTION: The program includes up to 3 hours of interactive discussion and opportunities to meet facility staff, residents, and patients. The highlight of the program is a student-led in-service for facility staff. MEASUREMENTS: With institutional review board approval as an exempt educational research project, pre- and postactivity surveys assessed self-efficacy and knowledge regarding levels of care for students who participated in the program and a student comparison group. The post-program knowledge test also was administered to hospital medicine staff, and test performance was compared with medical students who participated in the MedTEC program. RESULTS: Between October 2011 and December 2013, approximately 100 students participated in 20 sessions of MedTEC. All students reported improved self-efficacy and attitudes regarding care of older adults and care transition management. Mean percentage correct on the knowledge test increased significantly from 59.8% to 71.2% (P = .004) for the MedTEC participants but not for the comparison group students (63.1%-58.3%, P = .47). There was no significant difference in mean percentage correct on the post-program knowledge test between MedTEC medical students and hospitalists (71.0% versus 70.3%, P = .86). Students led 8 in-service sessions for facility staff on various topics relating to the care of older adults in PA/LTC. CONCLUSION: The MedTEC program appears to be a successful innovation in medical student education on levels of care. It could serve as a model for building competency of health professionals on managing care transitions and determining appropriate levels of care for older adults.

Firearms in Frail Hands: An ADL or A Public Health Crisis!

The incidence of neurocognitive disorders, which may impair the ability of older adults to perform activities of daily living (ADLs), rises with age. Depressive symptoms are also common in older adults and may affect ADLs. Safe storage and utilization of firearms are complex ADLs, which require intact judgment, executive function, and visuospatial ability, and may be affected by cognitive impairment. Depression or cognitive impairment may cause paranoia, delusions, disinhibition, apathy, or aggression and thereby limit the ability to safely utilize firearms. These problems may be superimposed upon impaired mobility, arthritis, visual impairment, or poor balance. Inadequate attention to personal protection may also cause hearing impairment and accidents. In this article, we review the data on prevalence of firearms access among older adults; safety concerns due to age-related conditions; barriers to addressing this problem; indications prompting screening for firearms access; and resources available to patients, caregivers, and health care providers.

Clinical Update on Nursing Home Medicine: 2015.

This is the ninth yearly update on clinical care in the nursing home. Topics covered this year are disease management in frail elders, heart failure, pneumonia, mild cognitive impairment, meaningful activities in the nursing home, atrial fibrillation, and anticoagulation.

Value of exercise capacity and heart rate recovery in older people.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the prognostic value in older adults of two predictors of mortality: impaired functional capacity and an attenuated heart rate recovery. SETTING: Academic medical center. DESIGN: Prospective study with mean 3.7 years follow-up. PARTICIPANTS: Seven thousand three hundred fifty-four adults aged 65 and older consecutively referred for exercise testing between 1990 and 1999. Patients with heart failure, valvular disease, atrial fibrillation, and pacemakers were excluded. MEASUREMENTS: The primary endpoint was all-cause mortality. Impaired functional capacity was defined as the peak exercise workload in the lowest quintile of metabolic equivalents achieved according to prespecified strata of age and sex. Heart rate recovery was defined as the fall in heart rate during the first minute after exercise and was abnormal if 12 or fewer beats per minute, except for patients undergoing stress echocardiography, in which case 18 or fewer beats per minute was abnormal. RESULTS: There were 842 deaths. Patients with impaired functional capacity were at increased risk for death (23% vs 9%, hazard ratio (HR) = 2.7, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 2.2-3.1, P <.0001) as were patients with an abnormal heart rate recovery (17% vs 9%, HR = 2.0, 95% CI = 1.8-2.3, P <.0001). After adjusting for age, sex, coronary history, and other confounders, impaired functional capacity (adjusted HR = 2.1, 95% CI = 1.8-2.4) and an abnormal heart rate recovery (adjusted HR = 1.5, 95% CI = 1.3-1.7) independently predicted death. No interactions between these two variables with age were noted. CONCLUSIONS: In older patients, impaired functional capacity and heart rate recovery were independent predictors of death.

Prevention of cardiovascular diseases. Coronary artery disease, congestive heart failure, and stroke.

Cardiovascular disease leads to significant morbidity and mortality in the older population. Results of risk reduction can be dramatic in terms of patient survival and quality of life. This article reviews evidence for cardiovascular risk factors and disease prevention in older adults. Interventions which reduce morbidity and mortality from coronary artery disease, heart failure, and cerebrovascular disease in the elderly population are examined. Attention is given to the role of cardiovascular disease in older women and in minorities, subsets not well-represented in many studies.