[Presbyphagia and swallowing disorders]. / Presbyphagie et troubles de la déglutition.

Swallowing disorders, which are frequent in geriatrics, are linked to multiple pathologies: cancer, stroke, neurocognitive disorders, acute confusion, vigilance disorders, etc. They can have serious consequences and therefore require special care. From the identification of the disorders by the doctor, the nurse, the caregiver, to the speech therapy assessment, through the adaptation of the diet by the dietician, the management of swallowing disorders concerns all the medical and paramedical staff. The aim of this article is to present the main existing recommendations to promote the patient's feeding despite the presence of these disorders.

Relevance of Cardiovascular Risk Factors Screening in People Aged over 65 Years: Results from a Large French Urban Population (The CARVAR92 Study).

BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death and disability in older people. Traditional cardiovascular risk factors (CVRFs) still have an impact on cardiovascular risk among older people. Nevertheless, screening campaigns rarely target subjects aged over 65 years. This study aimed to assess the distribution and relevance of conventional CVRF screening in people aged over 65 years. METHODS: Between 2007 and 2018, among a screening CVRF campaign in the western suburbs of Paris (32,692 subjects), we individualized 6,577 subjects aged 65 years and over. All conventional CVRFs have been systematically assessed. RESULTS: The screening allowed to suspect hypertension in a larger proportion of subjects over 65 years compared to subjects under 65 years (27% vs. 18%, p < 0.0001). Hypertension control was higher in women compared to men but not significantly different in the age-groups (p = 0.91). Screening for diabetes mellitus was positive in 3% of older subjects and 2.4% in younger (p = 0.005). Risk assessment with dedicated score (SCORE O.P.) allowed to move toward a low-risk estimation, resulting in the diminution of intermediate risk group in women over 65 years (from 68 to 61%, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Screening CVRFs especially hypertension remains relevant in people aged over 65 years as it enables to detect unknown CVRFs in numerous subjects. Increasing awareness of CVRFs may be the first step to CVRF control, which is known to be efficient on cardiovascular mortality and functional autonomy in later life.

[Phasic disorders and aphasia in geriatrics]. / Troubles phasiques et aphasie en gériatrie.

Aphasia, resulting from a brain lesion, leads to a partial or total loss of language in the elderly. By affecting communication abilities, it has repercussions on the life of the subject and his family. There are two types of aphasia. The roles of the caregiver and the speech therapist are in all cases essential. Depending on the communication difficulties encountered by the patient, specific supports can be recommended.

[Colorectal cancer and preoperative geriatric assessment]. / Cancer colorectal et évaluation gériatrique préopératoire.

With the ageing of the population and the increase in the incidence of cancer in the population over 75 years of age, a partnership between geriatricians and oncologists is becoming necessary to optimise the management of these patients. There is great variability in the profiles of elderly patients and age cannot be the only criterion of the decision making. Thus, it is necessary to identify patients who will benefit from an in-depth geriatric assessment (IGA) and the G8 screening tool used in oncology consultations allows to do so. The EGA offers a multidisciplinary approach to functional, psychological, nutritional, cognitive and social status of the person, and has been shown to have prognostic value for survival and relevance in guiding treatment choices.

[Everything you always wanted to know about the mouth of the elderly]. / Tout ce que vous avez toujours voulu savoir sur la bouche de la personne âgée.

The inspection of the mouth of an elderly person is an integral part of the initial clinical examination. The mouth is involved in many functions such as communication, feeding and breathing. Without good oral hygiene, it can be the site of complications such as mycosis, ulceration or bleeding lesions. The principles of treatment are based above all on a preventive attitude.

[Normal sensory aging]. / Le vieillissement sensoriel normal.

Normal aging can be defined as the result of the effects of genetic and environmental factors to which subjects are exposed throughout their lives. This process is slow and progressive and must be distinguished from disease. All organs are subject to aging in a physiological way.

[Cancer surgery and risk assessment in the elderly]. / Chirurgie oncologique du sujet âgé et évaluation des risques.

The assessment of the risks involved in the surgical treatment of cancer in an elderly patient is necessary. It makes it possible to identify and sometimes anticipate the occurrence of complications observed in the perioperative period. It also enables patients to be given sound information regarding treatment methods, their medical situation and the expectations and risks of the surgical procedure envisaged.

[Haemorrhagic strokes, current understanding]. / Les AVC hémorragiques, état des connaissances.

Haemorrhagic strokes represent 20% of strokes with a very high mortality rate. Faced with a sudden neurological deficit, the diagnosis must be systematically evoked. The leading aetiology of these strokes is chronic arterial hypertension, and blood pressure control is the best form of prevention. Treatment of this pathology is multifactorial.

[Clinical trials and elderly patients with cancer, the Geriatric Core Dataset (G-Code) tool]. / Essais cliniques et personnes âgées cancéreuses, l'outil Geriatric Core Dataset (G-Code).

Faced with the lack of evidence-based medicine concerning the efficacy and tolerance of cancer treatments in the extremely heterogeneous elderly population, and with no standardised geriatric evaluation in geriatric oncology clinical trials, the intergroup Dialog set itself the objective of establishing a minimal standardised geriatric evaluation for clinical trials. The evaluation must be simple, short and effective. It must comprise validated and reproducible measurement tools. The Geriatric Core Dataset, made up of seven items, has been formalised and validated by national and international experts.

Postoperative morbidity and mortality for malignant colon obstruction: the American College of Surgeon calculator reliability.

BACKGROUND: The American College of surgical risk calculator (SRC) score has never been validated specifically for surgery in emergency. The objective was to evaluate the reliability of this calculator in patients with malignant colon obstruction. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively have analyzed the morbidity and mortality observed in operated patients. Risk factors for postoperative morbidity and mortality were analyzed by logistic regression model. We have compared the morbidity and mortality estimated by the SRC score with that observed using the Brier Score (BS). A BS of 0 indicated perfect prediction, whereas a BS of 1 indicated the poorest prediction. RESULTS: Sixty-nine patients aged 75 y (41-93) have been operated on emergency from November 2001 to August 2015. The tumor was localized in the sigmoid in 33 cases (48%), in the splenic flexure in nine cases (13%), and in the right colon in 17 cases (25%). The surgical procedures were as follows: right colectomy with anastomosis (29%), diverting proximal iliac colostomy (23%), and subtotal colectomy with anastomosis (19%). The SRC score indicated a good predictivity for mortality (9.8% predicted versus 8.7% observed, BS = 0.058), for morbidity (33.4% versus 40.6%, BS = 0.209), and for serious morbidity (25.5% versus 17.4%, BS = 0.131). In multivariate analysis, SRC was an independent risk factor for mortality (P = 0.030 odds ratio [OR] = 1.07 [1.01-1.15]) and morbidity (P = 0.001 OR = 1.16 [1.08-1.27]). CONCLUSIONS: SRC score is a reliable tool for assessing the morbidity and mortality of obstructive colon cancer and could help with adapting the surgical gesture to the risks predicted.