Reliability of fr-AGILE tool to evaluate multidimensional frailty in hospital settings for older adults with COVID-19.

AIMS: The study assesses the reliability of fr-AGILE, a validated rapid tool used for the evaluation of multidimensional frailty in older adults hospitalized with COVID-19. METHODS: Two different staff members independently assessed the presence of frailty in 144 patients aged ≥ 65 years affected by COVID-19 using the fr-AGILE tool. The internal consistency of fr-AGILE was evaluated by examining the item-total correlations and the Kuder-Richardson (KR) formula. The inter-rater reliability was evaluated using linear weighted kappa. RESULTS: Multidimensional frailty severity increases with age and is associated to higher use of non-invasive ventilation (p = 0.025), total severity score on chest tomography (p = 0.001) and in-hospital mortality (p = 0.032). Fr-AGILE showed good internal consistency (KR-20 = 0.742) and excellent inter-rater reliability (weighted kappa = 0.752 and 0.878 for frailty score and frailty degree, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: fr-AGILE tool can quickly identify and quantify multidimensional frailty in hospital settings for older patient affected by COVID-19.

Personal protective equipment in Covid-19: Evidence-based quality and analysis of YouTube videos after one year of pandemic.

BACKGROUND: The correct use of personal protective equipment (PPE) during the Covid-19 pandemic is mandatory to minimize the contagion risk. The current study aimed to evaluate quality information of YouTube videos on PPE use during the pandemic. METHODS: Using Google Trend tool, the frequency of worldwide YouTube and Google searches for "donning and doffing" was examined. We queried YouTube with terms related to donning and doffing of PPE. Validated quality information assessment tools were used. RESULTS: From the December 1, 2019 to the January 31, 2021, according to YouTube and Google searches, both peaks occurred in April 2020 (69.5% and 72.0%, respectively). Of all videos, 144 were eligible for the analyses. According to misinformation tool, 90 (62.5%) videos contained inaccuracies. The median DISCERN Section 1 ranged from 3 to 5. The median DISCERN Section 3 was 4. According to Global Quality Score, 8.3% (n = 12), 14.6% (n = 21), 22.9% (n = 33), 30.6% (n = 44) and 23.6% (n = 34) were classified as poor, partially poor, moderate, partially good and excellent quality videos, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Nowadays, YouTube may be recommended as a reliable source of information. Nevertheless, a not negligible number of videos contained inaccuracies. Future authors should improve videos contents to provide more complete information.

Antithrombotic therapy in patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement: the complexity of the elderly.

Along with epidemiologic transitions of the global population, the burden of aortic stenosis (AS) is rapidly increasing and transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) has quickly spread; indeed, it is nowadays also employed in treating patients with AS at intermediate operative risk. Nonetheless, the less invasive interventional strategy still carries relevant issues concerning post-procedural optimal antithrombotic strategy, given the current indications provided by guidelines are not completely supported by evidence-based data. Geriatric patients suffer from high bleeding and thromboembolic risks, whose balance is particularly subtle due to the presence of concomitant conditions, such as atrial fibrillation and chronic kidney disease, that make the post-TAVR antithrombotic management particularly insidious. This scenario is further complicated by the lack of specific evidence regarding the 'real-life' complex conditions typical of the geriatric syndromes, thus, the management of such a heterogeneous population, ranging from healthy ageing to frailty, is far from being defined. The aim of the present review is to summarize the critical points and the most updated evidence regarding the post-TAVR antithrombotic approach in the geriatric population, with a specific focus on the most frequent clinical settings.

Impact of the number of comorbidities on cardiac sympathetic derangement in patients with reduced ejection fraction heart failure.

INTRODUCTION: Heart failure (HF) is frequently associated with comorbidities. 123I-metaiodobenzylguanidine (123I-mIBG) imaging constitutes an effective tool to measure cardiac adrenergic innervation and to improve prognostic stratification in HF patients, including the risk of major arrhythmic events. Although comorbidities have been individually associated with reduced cardiac adrenergic innervation, thus suggesting increased arrhythmic risk, very comorbid HF patients seem to be less likely to experience fatal arrhythmias. We evaluated the impact of the number of comorbidities on cardiac adrenergic innervation, assessed through 123I-mIBG imaging, in patients with systolic HF. METHODS: Patients with systolic HF underwent clinical examination, transthoracic echocardiography and cardiac 123I-mIBG scintigraphy. The presence of 7 comorbidities/conditions (smoking, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes mellitus, peripheral artery disease, atrial fibrillation, chronic ischemic heart disease and chronic kidney disease) was documented in the overall study population. RESULTS: The study population consisted of 269 HF patients with a mean age of 66±11 years, a left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) of 31±7%, and 153 (57%) patients presented ≥3 comorbidities. Highly comorbid patients presented a reduced late heart to mediastinum (H/M) ratio, while no significant differences emerged in terms of early H/M ratio and washout rate. Multiple regression analysis revealed that the number of comorbidities was not associated with mIBG parameters of cardiac denervation, which were correlated with age, body mass index and LVEF. CONCLUSION: In systolic HF patients, the number of comorbidities is not associated with alterations in cardiac adrenergic innervation. These results are consistent with the observation that very comorbid HF patients suffer lower risk of sudden cardiac death.

Predictors of adherence to composite therapy after acute coronary syndromes.

AIMS: Adherence to medical therapy following acute coronary syndrome (ACS) affects a patient's prognosis. In this cohort study, we sought to assess the factors that could affect a patient's adherence to therapy after ACS. METHODS: We prospectively collected information from patients (N = 964) hospitalized at the coronary care unit of the Federico II University Hospital, from 1 January 2015 to 30 June 2017, for ACS. Adherence to three classes of drugs including statins, antiplatelets [dual or single antiplatelet agent (SAPT)] and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors/angiotensin receptor blockers (ACE-I/ARB) and their composites were assessed at 1 month, 1 and 2 years after discharge. RESULTS: At 30 days adherence to prescribed therapy was 94.4% for dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT), 78.2% for statins, 92.7% for ACE-I/ARB and 70.7% for multitherapy. At 1 year, it was 91.1% for DAPT, 81.2% for ACE-I/ARB, 84.9% for statins and 71.4% for multitherapy. At 2 years, it was 97.1% for SAPT, 78.1% for ACE-I/ARB, 91.8% for statins, 72.8% for multitherapy. Multivariable logistic analysis demonstrated that at each time point, a telephone follow-up assessment predicts nonadherence to multitherapy and that a percutaneous coronary intervention at the index hospitalization is an independent predictor of adherence to composite therapy at 1 month and 1 year. CONCLUSION: Up to 2 years after ACS, three out of four patients are adherent to multitherapy prescription; percutaneous coronary intervention during the index hospitalization improves a patient's adherence, whereas telephone follow-up is associated with reduced adherence to multitherapy.Campania Salute Network Registry (Clinical Trials.gov Identifier: NCT02211365).

Atrial fibrillation in the elderly: a risk factor beyond stroke.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) represents the most common arrhythmia worldwide and its prevalence exponentially increases with age. It is related to increased risk of ischemic stroke or systemic embolism, which determines a significant burden of morbidity and mortality, as widely documented in the literature. AF also constitutes a risk factor for other less investigated conditions, such as heart failure, pulmonary embolism, impairment in physical performance, reduced quality of life, development of disability, mood disorders and cognitive impairment up to dementia. In the elderly population, the management of AF and its complications is particularly complex due to the heterogeneity of the ageing process, the lack of specific evidence-based recommendations, as well as the high grade of comorbidity and disability characterizing the over 65 years aged people. In the present review, we aim to summarize the pieces of the most updated evidence on AF complications beyond stoke, mainly focusing on the elderly population.