Frailty status, timely goals of care documentation and clinical outcomes in older hospitalised medical patients.

BACKGROUND: Hospitalised frail older patients are at risk of clinical deterioration. Early goals of care (GOC) documentation is vital to avoid futile/unwarranted interventions in the event of deterioration. AIMS: To investigate the impact of frailty on timely GOC and its association with clinical outcomes in hospitalised older patients. METHODS: This was a single-centre retrospective study of all medical patients aged ≥80 years admitted to the acute medical unit between 1/3/2015 and 31/8/2015, with GOC derived from electronic records. Frailty was measured using the Hospital Frailty Risk Score (HFRS) derived from hospital coding data. Primary outcome compared proportions of timely GOC within 72-h between frail (HFRS ≥ 5) and non-frail (HFRS < 5) patients. Exploratory secondary outcomes included in-hospital mortality, rapid response calls (RRC), prolonged length of stay (LOS) and 28-day readmission rates. RESULTS: Of the 1118 admitted patients, 529 (47.3%) were frail. Timely GOC occurred in 50% (559/1118), more commonly in frail patients (283/529, 53.5%) than non-frail patients (276/589, 46.9%), P = 0.027. Frailty was positively associated with timely GOC independent of age and gender (odds ratio = 1.28; 95% confidence interval = 1.01-163; P = 0.041). In univariable analyses, timely GOC was associated with greater in-hospital mortality, RRC, and hospital LOS in both frail and non-frail patients (all P < 0.05) and greater 28-day readmissions only among frail patients (P = 0.028). Multivariable regression demonstrated that timely GOC was associated only with in-hospital mortality in both frail and non-frail patients, independent of age and gender. CONCLUSION: Older frail hospitalised patients were more likely to have timely GOC than older non-frail patients. Timely GOC in such patients may avoid burdensome treatments.

Post-operative outcomes in older patients: a single-centre observational study.

BACKGROUND: Improved life-expectancies have seen increased rates of older patients undergoing surgery worldwide. These patients are at increased risk of post-operative complications. Australian evidence is limited regarding the association between age and post-operative outcomes, especially rapid response calls (RRCs) as indicators of adverse outcomes. The aim was to compare the post-operative outcomes of older patients (≥80 years) to younger patients. Specifically, 30-day in-hospital mortality; unplanned intensive care unit (ICU) admission; and RRC activation within 72 h post-operatively. METHODS: Single-centre retrospective observational study conducted over 12 months in a metropolitan Australian hospital. All adult patients (≥16 years) undergoing surgical procedures were included, excluding cardiac and obstetric/gynaecological surgeries. Patient co-morbidities were quantified using Charlson co-morbidity index (CCI) and American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status classification. RESULTS: Seven thousand four hundred and seventy-nine patients met inclusion criteria, 14.5% (n = 1086) aged ≥80 years. Most procedures (65%) were elective; and general surgical procedures were most common (24.2%). Compared to younger patients, older patients had significantly higher 30-day mortality (2.3% versus 0.2%; P < 0.001), increased post-operative RRC rates (7.3% versus 1.2%; P < 0.001), and unplanned ICU admissions (3.2% versus 1.6%; P < 0.001). Increasing age was associated with increased risk of post-operative RRC, unplanned ICU admission, and in-hospital mortality (all P < 0.01), with associations remaining significant after controlling for surgery type and CCI. CONCLUSION: Older patients are at increased risk of adverse post-operative outcomes, including post-operative RRC, unplanned ICU admission, and mortality, especially if they underwent emergency procedures. This has implications for preoperative risk stratification and post-operative management. Incidence of post-operative RRCs may be an important indicator of post-operative care.

Cost implications of avoidable rapid response call activations in older patients.

BACKGROUND: Rapid response calls (RRCs) are designed to appropriately manage clinical deterioration. However, not all RRCs are appropriate due to medical futility or the patient's wishes. Incidence and costs associated with avoidable-RRC (ARRC) remain underexplored. AIMS: The aim of this study was to describe the incidence and costs of ARRC activations in older patients. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed RRCs in patients aged ≥80 years over six months. We defined ARRC as RRC activations despite clear documentation confirming not for further RRCs. Data on investigations, equipment and management of each ARRC were analysed. We then micro-costed each ARRC using standard references. RESULTS: Ten percent (25/255) of RRCs were ARRC (mean age 85.6 years) with most patients (88%) admitted under medical teams. Median duration of ARRC was 22 minutes (IQR 7-38 minutes). Palliative care services were underutilised (40%). Most patients (94.4%) died soon after ARRC. The costs for investigations, equipment and management was AUD $2,267.01, opportunity costs were AUD $3,861.55, with a grand total cost of AUD $6,128.56. CONCLUSION: ARRC, noted in 10% of RRCs, are associated with increased time and financial costs. Further research is required to better understand ARRC triggers to reduce the burden of ARRC on patients, carers and hospital staff.

Melatonin and the Prevention and Management of Delirium: A Scoping Study.

BACKGROUND: The therapeutic benefit of melatonin in the prevention and treatment of delirium is uncertain. OBJECTIVE: To perform a scoping study to describe the existing literature regarding the use of melatonin and ramelteon in the prevention and treatment of delirium. METHODS: We performed a scoping study using the Arksey and O'Malley framework to explore our objective. Two independent panels searched MEDLINE, OVID, EMBASE, PubMed, Google Scholar, and Cochrane Library for relevant articles up to November 2017 describing the use of melatonin and ramelteon in the prevention or management of delirium. We extracted relevant summary data from the studies and attempted to draw conclusion regarding benefit. RESULTS: We summarized evidence from 20 relevant articles. There were a total of nine articles: five randomized controlled trials (RCTs), two retrospective medical record reviews, one non-randomized observational study, and one case report describing the role of either melatonin or ramelteon in preventing delirium. There were a total of 11 studies studying the role of either melatonin or ramelteon in the management of established delirium. None of these were RCT and were predominantly case series and case reports. Four of the five trials studying the effect of melatonin analogs in preventing delirium reported a beneficial effect but study heterogeneity limited any broad recommendations. Similarly, the lack of any well-designed trials limits any recommendations regarding the effect of melatonin analogs in treating delirium. CONCLUSION: Large, well-designed clinical trials are required to explore the potential beneficial effects of melatonin and ramelteon on delirium prevention and management.