Introducción: La desnutrición y la alteración en la funcionalidad son altamente prevalentes en adultos mayores hospitalizados y se asocia a resultados adversos. El objetivo principal de este trabajo fue evaluar la relación existente entre el estado nutricional y funcionalidad en adultos mayores hospitalizados en Unidad Geriátrica de Agudos (UGA) del Hospital Naval Almirante Nef. Pacientes y Métodos: Estudio descriptivo de corte transversal, que incluyó a adultos mayores (AM) hospitalizados en UGA entre 01 de Marzo 2014 y 01 de Mayo 2015. A los pacientes se les realizó valoración geriátrica integral y valoración nutricional con MNA SF y test para evaluar la presencia de anorexia. Se analizaron los datos con software STATA 10. Para evaluar significancia estadística se ocuparon las pruebas Chi2 y de Kruskal Wallis. Resultados: 97 pacientes ingresados, 1 excluido. Promedio de edad de 84,1 años, 52% mujeres. Índice de Barthel promedio de 74,02 puntos. Prevalencia de desnutrición de 20,83%. La asociación entre un peor estado nutricional y peor funcionalidad en ABVD resultó estadísticamente significativa (p: 0,005). Discusión: Aquellos pacientes que ingresaron a UGA con peor estado nutricional presentaban peor funcionalidad basal en las ABVD. La relación entre estado nutricional y funcionalidad es compleja y probablemente bidireccional. Conclusión: La alta prevalencia de desnutrición en AM recientemente hospitalizados se acompaña de peor funcionalidad basal en actividades básicas de la vida diaria.
Background: Malnutrition and functional impairment are highly prevalent in the hospitalized elderly and can lead to unfavorable outcomes. The purpose of this study was evaluate if there is a relation between nutritional status and functionality in elderly patients hospitalized in the Acute Geriatric Unit (AGU) of Hospital Naval Almirante Nef, Viña del Mar. Patients: Cross-sectional descriptive study wich included elderly patients hospitalized in the AGU between March 1, 2014 and May 1, 2015. Patients underwent a comprehensive geriatric assessment and nutritional assessment with MNA Short Form and an anorexy test. Data were analyzed with STATA 10 software. Chi2 and Kruskal Wallis tests were used to assess statistical significance. Results: A total of 97 patients, 1 excluded. Average age of 84,1 years, 52% female. Barthel index averaged 74,02 points. The prevalence of malnutrition was 20,83%. The association between poorer nutritional status and poorer functioning in basic activities of daily living was statistically significant (p: 0.005). Conclusions: Those patients who entered AGU with worse nutritional status presented worse baseline functionality in basic activities of daily living. The relationship between nutritional status and functionality is complex and probably bidirectional. The high prevalence of malnutrition in recently hospitalized elderly is accompanied by poorer baseline functionality in basic activities of daily living.
Illness presentation in the elderly may be entirely non-specific, with fatigue, loss of function or the presence of geriatric syndromes. We report a 90 years old male consulting in the emergency room for delirium that persisted throughout hospitalization without finding a cause. During the course of hospitalization mild fever appeared and a left knee swelling became apparent. A synovial fluid aspiration showed a leukocyte count of 360 per field with 60% polymorphonuclear cells. The culture was negative. With a presumptive diagnosis of pseudogout, cochicine and celecoxib were started with remission of the confusional state. The patient was discharged 13 days after admission in good conditions.
Aged, 80 and over , Humans , Male , Chondrocalcinosis/complications , Delirium/etiology , Knee Injuries/complications , C-Reactive Protein/analysis , Calcium Pyrophosphate , Fever/etiology
Alzheimer's disease is becoming an increasingly common problem due to population aging. Most of the research on truth telling in relation to diagnosis has been done in oncology. However, although growing, there has a lack of interest about attitudes held among physicians towards disclosing the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease. Physicians, family caregivers and patients have different views about it. The reasons most often given for communicating the diagnosis are the right to know, relief of anxiety to know the cause of memory problems, early access to treatment and ability to plan ahead. On the contrary, the reasons for concealing the diagnosis are based on the right not to know, the anxiety associated to knowing the diagnosis and the absence of curative therapies for the disease. The aim of this paper is to report the current state of literature on diagnostic truth telling in dementia, review the ethical principles involved, and finally give a strategy to address the issue.
Alzheimer Disease/diagnosis , Ethics, Medical , Truth Disclosure/ethics , Alzheimer Disease/psychology , Attitude of Health Personnel , Attitude to Health , Humans , Personal Autonomy
We report a 79-year-old male patient presenting with progressive memory loss associated with anxiety and muscular pain. An extensive biochemical control revealed high serum calcium and parathormone levels, and normal thyroid hormones. Cognitive assessment prior to surgery was compatible with mild cognitive impairment, showing significant improvement two months after parathyroidectomy. Our case suggests that, although rare, primary hyperparathyroidism should be considered as a possible cause of cognitive decline in the elderly.
Cognition Disorders/etiology , Hyperparathyroidism, Primary/complications , Aged , Cognitive Dysfunction/etiology , Humans , Male
We report a 79-year-old male patient presenting with progressive memory loss associated with anxiety and muscularpain. An extensive biochemical control revealed high serum calcium and parathormone levels, and normal thyroid hormones. Cognitive assessment prior to surgery was compatible with mild cognitive impairment, showing significant improvement two months after parathyroidectomy. Our case suggests that, although rare, primary hyperparathyroidism should be considered as a possible cause of cognitive decline in the elderly.
Aged , Humans , Male , Cognition Disorders/etiology , Hyperparathyroidism, Primary/complications , Cognitive Dysfunction/etiology
