Use of serial Mini-Mental State Examinations to diagnose and monitor delirium in elderly hospital patients.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the responsiveness of serial Mini-Mental State Examinations (MMSEs) for the diagnosis and monitoring of delirium in elderly hospital patients. DESIGN: Prospective study. SETTING: University teaching hospital. PARTICIPANTS: One hundred sixty-five people admitted to an acute geriatric service. MEASUREMENTS: Subjects were assessed using the MMSE and the Confusion Assessment Method on hospital Days 1 and 6. Changes in scores were compared between patients who remained free of delirium (n=124) and those who by Day 6 had developed delirium (n=14) or had resolution of delirium present on admission (n=22). RESULTS: A number of measures of responsiveness confirmed that serial MMSE scores were responsive to resolution and to development of delirium. A fall of 2 or more points on the MMSE was the best determinant for detecting development of delirium (93% sensitivity, 90% specificity, positive likelihood ratio (LR)=8.9 (95% confidence interval (CI)=5.2-15.1) and negative LR=0.08 95% CI=0.01-0.53)). A rise of 3 or more points was the best determinant for detecting resolution of delirium (77% sensitivity, 75% specificity, positive LR=3.1 (95% CI=2.1-4.5) and negative LR=0.30 (95% CI=0.14-0.66)). CONCLUSION: The MMSE is responsive to short-term changes in cognitive function in elderly patients. Serial MMSE tests should be helpful in monitoring the development and resolution of delirium in this population.

Confusion and altered behaviour? Cause.

We describe the case of a 65-year-old man who presented with confusion and change in behaviour, and describe the investigative steps that were taken before a diagnosis was made. This patient was eventually diagnosed with leptomeningeal carcinomatosis secondary to a previously undiagnosed oesophageal carcinoma.

Orthostatic tolerance in older patients with vitamin B12 deficiency before and after vitamin B12 replacement.

Orthostatic hypotension (OH) and vitamin B12 deficiency are common disorders in older people. Several case series have reported an association between vitamin B12 deficiency and OH. The effect of vitamin B12 replacement on this dysfunction has not been studied. We prospectively studied responses to head up tilt in patients over 70 years with vitamin B12 deficiency (intervention group) and compared their responses after replacement to those of matched patients with idiopathic OH and normal serum vitamin B12 concentrations (control group). Blood pressure (BP), heart rate (HR) and systemic vascular resistance (SVR) changes during orthostatic stress were evaluated using digital artery photoplethysmography. Eight patients and eight controls were studied. Initial head up tilt produced a mean BP decrease of 44/29 mmHg (s.e.m. 4/4 mmHg) in the intervention group and 33/12 mmHg (s.e.m. 3/2 mmHg) in the control group. Repeat head up tilt 6 months after vitamin B12 replacement produced a mean BP decrease of 15/9 mmHg (s.e.m. 5/2 mmHg) in the intervention group. The mean decrease in the control group was 30/12 mmHg (s.e.m. 2/2 mmHg). The difference in BP decreases between groups was statistically significant for both systolic and diastolic BP (p < 0.001 for both systolic BP and diastolic BP). Mean SVR in the intervention group decreased by 658 dynes/cm5/sec (s.e.m. 74 dynes/cm5/sec) during initial head up tilt. Mean SVR during repeat head up tilt decreased by 79 dynes/cm5/sec (s. e. m. 12 dynes/cm5/sec). Mean SVR in the control group decreased by 158 dynes/cm5/sec (s. e. m. 10 dynes/cm5/sec) during initial head up tilt and by 258 dynes/cm5/sec (s. e. m. 31 dynes/cm5/sec). The difference in SVR changes between groups was statistically significant (p = 0.02). We conclude that replacing vitamin B12 in older patients with vitamin B12 deficiency is associated with improved orthostatic tolerance to head up tilt.