ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: To assess whether dementia is an independent predictor of death after a hospital emergency department (ED) visit by older adults with or without a COVID-19 diagnosis during the first pandemic wave. METHOD: We used data from the EDEN-Covid (Emergency Department and Elderly Needs during Covid) cohort formed by all patients ≥65 years seen in 52 Spanish EDs from March 30 to April 5, 2020. The association of prior history of dementia with mortality at 30, 180 and 365 d was evaluated in the overall sample and according to a COVID-19 or non COVID diagnosis. RESULTS: We included 9,770 patients aged 78.7 ± 8.3 years, 51.1% men, 1513 (15.5%) subjects with prior history of dementia and 3055 (31.3%) with COVID-19 diagnosis. 1399 patients (14.3%) died at 30 d, 2008 (20.6%) at 180 days and 2456 (25.1%) at 365 d. The adjusted Hazard Ratio (aHR) for age, sex, comorbidity, disability and diagnosis for death associated with dementia were 1.16 (95% CI 1.01-1.34) at 30 d; 1.15 at 180 d (95% CI 1.03-1.30) and 1.19 at 365 d (95% CI 1.07-1.32), p < .001. In patients with COVID-19, the aHR were 1.26 (95% CI: 1.04-1.52) at 30 days; 1.29 at 180 d (95% CI: 1.09-1.53) and 1.35 at 365 d (95% CI: 1.15-1.58). CONCLUSION: Dementia in older adults attending Spanish EDs during the first pandemic wave was independently associated with 30-, 180- and 365-day mortality. This impact was lower when adjusted for age, sex, comorbidity and disability, and was greater in patients diagnosed with COVID-19.
Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Dementia , Emergency Service, Hospital , Humans , COVID-19/mortality , COVID-19/epidemiology , Female , Male , Aged , Spain/epidemiology , Dementia/mortality , Dementia/epidemiology , Emergency Service, Hospital/statistics & numerical data , Aged, 80 and over , SARS-CoV-2 , ComorbidityABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: To estimate the incidence of pneumonia diagnosis in elderly patients in Spanish emergency departments (ED), need for hospitalization, adverse events and predictive capacity of biomarkers commonly used in the ED. METHODS: Patients ≥65 years with pneumonia seen in 52 Spanish EDs were included. We recorded in-hospitaland 30-day mortality as adverse events, as well as intensive care unit (ICU) admission among hospitalizedpatients. Association of 10 predefined variables with adverse events was calculated and expressed as odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence interval (CI), as well as predictive capacity of 5 commonly used biomarkers in the ED (leukocytes, hemoglobin, C-reactive protein, glucose, creatinine) was investigated using area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC-ROC). RESULTS: 591 patients with pneumonia attended in the ED were included (annual incidence of 18,4 per 1000 inhabitants). A total of 78.0% were hospitalized. Overall, 30-day mortality was 14.2% and in-hospital mortality was 12.9%. Functional dependency was associated with both events (OR=4.453, 95%CI=2.361-8.400; and OR=3.497, 95%CI=1.578-7.750, respectively) as well as severe comorbidity (2.344, 1.363-4.030, and 2.463, 1.252-4.846, respectively). Admission to the ICU during hospitalization occurred in 3.5%, with no associated factors. The predictive capacity of biomarkers was only moderate for creatinine for ICU admission (AUC-ROC=0.702, 95% CI=0.536-0.869) and for leukocytes for post-discharge adverse event (0.669, 0.540-0.798). CONCLUSIONS: Pneumonia is a frequent diagnosis in elderly patients consulting in the ED. Their functional dependence and comorbidity is the factor most associated with adverse events. The biomarkers analyzed do not have a good predictive capacity for adverse events.
ABSTRACT
ABSTRACT Background: Information is needed on the safety and efficacy of direct discharge from the emergency department (ED) of patients with COVID-19 pneumonia. Objectives: The objectives of the study were to study the variables associated with discharge from the ED in patients presenting with COVID-19 pneumonia, and study ED revisits related to COVID-19 at 30 days (EDR30d). Methods: Multicenter study of the SIESTA cohort including 1198 randomly selected COVID patients in 61 EDs of Spanish medical centers from March 1, 2020, to April 30, 2020. We collected baseline and related characteristics of the acute episode and calculated the adjusted odds ratios (aOR) for ED discharge. In addition, we analyzed the variables related to EDR30d in discharged patients. Results: We analyzed 859 patients presenting with COVID-19 pneumonia, 84 (9.8%) of whom were discharged from the ED. The variables independently associated with discharge were being a woman (aOR 1.890; 95%CI 1.176-3.037), age < 60 years (aOR 2.324; 95%CI 1.353-3.990), and lymphocyte count > 1200/mm3 (aOR 4.667; 95%CI 1.045-20.839). The EDR30d of the ED discharged group was 40.0%, being lower in women (aOR 0.368; 95%CI 0.142-0.953). A total of 130 hospitalized patients died (16.8%) as did two in the group discharged from the ED (2.4%) (OR 0.121; 95%CI 0.029-0.498). Conclusion: Discharge from the ED in patients with COVID-19 pneumonia was infrequent and was associated with few variables of the episode. The EDR30d was high, albeit with a low mortality.
ABSTRACT
La infiltración de anestésico local (AL) está cada vez más extendida como indicación en el tratamiento del dolor neuropático. La intoxicación por AL es poco frecuente pero grave, potencialmente mortal y de difícil manejo. Cursa con afectación del nivel de conciencia, crisis comiciales y bloqueos de la conducción cardiaca. La emulsión lipídica (EL) al 20 % es el único tratamiento específico descrito hasta la fecha y ha mejorado el pronóstico de estos casos. Presentamos el caso de un paciente con deterioro neurológico progresivo tras la infiltración de altas dosis de AL por un dolor neuropático refractario a otros tratamientos. El paciente fue tratado con emulsión lipídica al 20 % revirtiendo el cuadro neurológico de forma precoz y completa. La aparición de síntomas neurológicos progresivos en el contexto de una infiltración de anestésico local debe alertarnos sobre una posible intoxicación para iniciar tratamiento precoz con emulsión lipídica al 20 %, evitando un pronóstico infausto. Sin embargo, la prevención sigue siendo la herramienta principal.
The infiltration of local anesthetic (LA) is increasingly widespread as an indication in the treatment of neuropathic pain. AL poisoning is rare but serious, life-threatening entity and its management may be very difficult. It occurs with decreased level of consciousness, seizures and cardiac conduction blocks. The lipid emulsion (EL) 20% is the only specific treatment described to date and it has improved the prognosis of these patients. We report the case of a patient with progressive neurological deterioration after injection of high doses of LA for treat a neuropathic pain refractory to other treatments. The patient was treated with lipid emulsion 20% with reversing all the neurological symptoms early and completely. The occurrence of progressive neurological symptoms in the context of a local anesthetic infiltration, should alert us to a possible poisoning and to start early treatment with lipid emulsion 20%, to avoid poor prognosis. However, prevention remains the main tool.