Evaluation of effectiveness of an art-based museum intervention in reducing loneliness among older adults (ArtGran): a quasi-experimental study.

OBJECTIVES: Loneliness is a public health issue among older adults. We designed an intervention offering 10 sessions with diverse artistic methods (ArtGran). This study assessed the effectiveness of ArtGran in reducing loneliness and its negative effects on health in community-dwelling older adults in 2022 in Barcelona. STUDY DESIGN: Quasi-experimental study, with an intervention group (IG) and a comparison group (CG). METHODS: The sample included residents aged ≥70 years from 6 selected neighbourhoods of Barcelona. In each neighbourhood, an IG and a CG was formed with participants who reported loneliness and without special mobility needs. The participants were referred from primary care centres, social services, and community health centres. We included 138 participants (IG = 63, CG = 75). We collected data on loneliness, quality of life (QoL-5D), mood, and self-perceived health before and after the intervention through validated questionnaires. To assess the effect of the intervention, we built Poisson models with robust variance and linear regression models. RESULTS: At the end of the intervention, participants in the IG were more likely than those in the CG to be able to perform their usual activities without problems (adjusted prevalence ratio [aPR] = 1.22; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.02-1.45). Compared with the CG, participants in the IG attending more than half of the sessions had lower levels of loneliness (aPR = 1.36; 95%CI: 1.07-1.73), a better ability to perform their usual activities (aPR [95%CI] = 1.24 [1.05-1.48]), and higher happiness scores (ß = 0.73; P = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The effectiveness of the intervention was more pronounced when participants had high attendance. Our results suggest that high attendance of the ArtGran program was helpful in shielding older individuals from loneliness, fostering positive moods, and preserving their functional status.

Effectiveness of a community intervention to reduce social isolation among older people in low-income neighbourhoods.

BACKGROUND: Social and demographic trends show a global increase of proportion of older people at risk of social isolation. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of an intervention conducted in low-income neighbourhoods to reduce social isolation and its negative effects on health in older persons. METHODS: A quasi-experimental study with a comparison group was performed. The 'School of Health for Older People' is a weekly community intervention that promotes resources among individuals and communities to enhance their ability to identify problems and activate solutions, encouraging community participation. Data were collected at the beginning and at the end of the intervention. Social support, psychological morbidity and health-related quality of life were measured through questionnaires information on visits to the primary care centre was obtained from the electronic medical records of primary care centres. Multivariate regression models were conducted to assess changes after the intervention. RESULTS: A total of 135 participants were included in the study. The intervention helped to improve participants' mental health (aPR = 0.46; 95% CI: 0.23-0.90) comparing with the comparison group. Also, the intervention helped to maintain quality of life and social support, which were worsened or maintained respectively in the case of comparison group. CONCLUSIONS: Our results provide evidence on how a community intervention can improve quality of life, mental health and social support in older people. The evidence can help to fill the knowledge gap in this area and might be especially useful for the design of social and public health policies and programmes for older people in disadvantaged neighbourhoods in urban areas. TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT03142048.

Pacientes neoplásicos con fiebre neutropénica de bajo riesgo inducida por quimioterapia como potenciales beneficiarios de programas de hospitalización domiciliaria

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[Diclofenac does not change the characteristics of anesthetic induction with midazolam]. / El diclofenaco no modifica las características de la inducción anestésica con midazolam.

To examine the possible interaction between diclofenac and midazolam, 20 patients undergoing orthopedic or traumatologic surgery were studied. All were anesthetized with 0.3 mg/kg intravenous midazolam after having been premedicated randomly with either placebo (control group, n = 10) or with 1 mg/kg intravenous diclofenac (n = 10). Anesthetic characteristics (rate of induction and depth) were similar in both groups, indicating that no clinical interaction between the two drugs can be identified.

[Hypnotic doses of midazolam administered by continuous perfusion. Analysis of predictive factors]. / Dosis hipnótica de midazolam administrado en perfusión continua. Análisis de los factores predictivos.

The hypnotic dose of midazolam administered in continuous perfusion was investigated in 76 patients undergoing programmed traumatologic or orthopedic surgery. In all cases an infusion of midazolam at a rate of mg-1 kg-1 h-1 was administered until patients closed eyes but opened them under auditive stimuli (hypnotic dose of midazolam). This dose was 5.25 +/- 2.78 mg (0.08 +/- 0.04 mg/kg) and showed a statistically significant correlation with age (r = 0.43, p = 0.002) and weight (r = 0.3, p = 0.02). There was no significant correlation with sex, ASA class, premedication, plasma proteins, and plasma albumin. Interindividual variability, especially in young patients, was high.