Electrolyte disorders following oral sodium phosphate administration for bowel cleansing in elderly patients.

BACKGROUND: Oral sodium phosphate is currently used for colon preparation prior to colonoscopy or barium enema. Sodium phosphate induces hyperphosphatemia, hypocalcemia, and hypokalemia. Elderly patients are at an increased risk for phosphate intoxication due to decreased glomerular filtration rate, medication use, and systemic and gastrointestinal diseases. We investigated these electrolyte disorders and their correlation with creatinine clearance, coexistent diseases, medications, and functional status. METHODS: Thirty-six hospitalized patients were included in the study. On day 1, patients were administered 2 doses of oral sodium phosphate. Venous blood samples for electrolyte determination were obtained at 7 AM on days 1, 2 (the procedure day), and 3. Urine samples were obtained from 10 patients. RESULTS: An increase in serum phosphorus level was correlated with a decreased creatinine clearance (R = -0.52; P =.001). Hypocalcemia and hypokalemia were present in 21 (58%) and 20 (56%) patients, respectively. Patients with a serum potassium concentration of 3.5 mEq/L or less on day 2 had a lower serum potassium concentration on day 1 vs those with a serum potassium concentration greater than 3.5 mEq/L on day 2 (P =.03). Five (dependent patients) had a serum potassium concentration of 3 mEq/L or less and 2 had severe diarrhea, necessitating treatment. There were more demented patients with hypokalemia compared with normokalemic patients (P<.05). Urinary fractional excretion of phosphorus tripled on day 2 (P =.01). Potassium and sodium fractional excretion remained unchanged. CONCLUSIONS: Sodium phosphate induces serious electrolyte abnormalities in the elderly. The frequency and severity of hypokalemia is due to intestinal potassium loss associated with inadequate renal potassium conservation and is apparently more prevalent in frail patients. Assessment of serum electrolytes, phosphorus, and calcium prior to sodium phosphate preparation is advised, and in selected patients, postprocedural assessment and correction may be required.

Melatonin rhythms in stroke patients.

Very little is known regarding melatonin's circadian rhythm in stroke patients. We compared urinary-sulfatoxymelatonin (6-SMT), its major metabolite, in 11 extensive cortical and seven deep or lacunar stroke patients on day 3 or 4 and day 10 post-stroke. Urinary 6-SMT and creatinine measured every 4 h for 24 h starting at 06:00 h significantly fluctuated during the day in both types of stroke and did not differ between day 3 or 4 and day 10 post-stroke. However, in extensive cortical lesions, a delay in the 6-SMT excretion was observed in the first post-stroke days compared to day 10. We conclude that circadian oscillator is preserved in extensive cortical as well as in deep and lacunar strokes. Extensive cortical stroke might delay the melatonin surge during the first post-stroke days.

Diarrhea in elderly patients due to Clostridium difficile associated with Salmonella and Shigella infection.

Clostridium difficile is the main cause of nosocomial diarrhea mainly in elderly hospitalized patients and in nursing homes, but less common in the community. We report three elderly patients living in the community, one frail and two in reasonable good health who recently developed diarrhea due to C. difficile associated with Salmonella group C in two cases and Shigella flexneri in the other. The association with Shigella has not previously been reported and there have only been a few cases with Salmonella. These findings may be important due to the possibility that diarrhea caused by C. difficile associated with other enteric bacteria may be more prevalent than expected in the aging population, thus necessitating awareness and consequently appropriate treatment and follow-up.

The relationship between nutritional status of hip fracture operated elderly patients and their functioning, comorbidity and outcome.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Malnutrition is common in hip fracture elderly patients. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between the Mini Nutrition Assessment Short Form (MNA-SF) and cognitive, functional status, comorbidity and outcome of operated patients. METHODS: Clinical data, MNA, functioning, cognition were prospectively determined. Retrospectively, the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) and Cumulative Illness Rating Scale for Geriatrics (CIRS-G) were applied. RESULTS: The study consisted of 95 well-nourished (WN), 95 at risk of malnutrition (ARM) and 25 malnourished (MN) patients. More WN patients were independent vs. partially or fully dependent; more WN patients were cognitively normal vs. cognitively impaired (p < 0.001). CIRS-G was higher in MN vs. WN patients and CCI was higher in MN and ARM vs. WN patients (p < 0.001). During a 6 month period, 100 patients were readmitted, with less readmissions in the WN group (p = 0.024). During a 36 month follow-up, 79 patients died. The mortality rate was lower in the WN group (p = 0.01). Stepwise regression analysis found that the only independent variables for mortality were CCI and functioning (p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with higher cognitive and functional status were in superior nutritional condition. Poor nutritional status was associated with higher comorbidity indices, mortality and readmissions. However, we found that only comorbidity and low functioning can predict long-term mortality.

Functional gain of hip fracture patients in different cognitive and functional groups.

OBJECTIVE: To follow up six months post hip fracture and to compare functional gain of patients in different cognitive and functional groups. DESIGN: Prospective longitudinal study of hip fracture patients with functional evaluation pre-fracture, prior to discharge from orthopaedic department and one, three and six months post fracture. SETTING: Department of Orthopaedics, Rabin Medical Center, Golda Campus with follow-up at Beit-Rivka Geriatric Rehabilitation Hospital, both in Petach Tikvah, Israel, with a minority of patients followed at home or nursing home. MEASUREMENT: Cognition evaluated by Mini-Mental State Examination, pre-fracture functioning by Functional Independence Measure and Katz Index of ADL. Functional outcome assessed by Functional Independence Measure gain defined as the difference between Functional Independence Measure scores at six months and just prior to discharge from the Department of Orthopaedics. RESULTS: Moderately cognitively impaired and normal patients had the same Functional Independence Measure-A (self-care) and Functional Independence Measure-B (motor) gains. Pre-fracture independent patients had significantly higher Functional Independence Measure-A and Functional Independence Measure-B gains. A multiple regression analysis examining age, sex, Mini-Mental State Examination score, Katz score, type of fracture, surgery versus conservative treatment and the pre-fracture Functional Independence Measure score showed that only the pre-fracture Functional Independence Measure-B scores and Katz scores are the independent variables for motor and self-care gains, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Pre-fracture motor and not cognitive level has been the most important predictive factor for motor gain after hip fracture. Cognitively impaired hip fracture patients can achieve and maintain the same motor functional gain as normal patients, if they were mobile pre-fracture.