Loss Of Functional Reserve Research Articles

Frailty: A Familiar Challenge or an Unknown Question for Anesthesiologist – Results of an Indian Survey

Abstract Background: Frailty is a public health issue, and with increased life expectancy, more elderly patients are coming for surgical interventions. It is a multidimensional condition, characterized by loss of functional reserve which leads to adverse perioperative outcomes. This novel survey in the Indian scenario not only identifies the knowledge and orientation of the Indian anesthesiologists but also their day-to-day practice of frailty assessment. Methods: This 22-question survey was distributed to mostly Indian anesthesiologists practicing in various cities through electronic media. The first section included the electronic addresses and the informed consent. The second section contains the academic background and demography of the respondents. The third section includes their awareness about frailty and how they perceive it as a clinical entity. The last section focuses on the actual practice of frailty assessment by the participants. Results: We received 306 responses, among them 295 doctors practice anesthesia. Ninety-four percent of respondents agreed that the concept of frailty should be known to all anesthesiologists, 89% of the responses concurred that frailty affects postoperative outcomes. Only 54% respondents were properly trained in this topic during their training days and 45% of all were only confident to diagnose frailty in the preanesthetic check (PAC) clinic. Thirty seven percent of respondents lacked basic knowledge about different frailty tools. Forty-three percent of respondents revealed that they do not report the presence of frailty in patient files during PAC. Only 10% of the respondents have ever used any point-of-care ultrasound for frailty assessment. In 73% of cases, there was no geriatric team available in the hospitals, and 71% said that there is no well-implemented preoperative approach in their hospital for elderly frail patients for elective surgery. Conclusions: Despite the awareness of the importance of frailty in preoperative assessment, there is a huge void in the identification and assessment of frail patients in hospitals. There is an absolute need for a uniform and standardized national guideline.

The Effects of Low Flow and Normal Flow Desflurane Anesthesia on Liver and Renal Functions and Serum Cystatin C Levels in Geriatric Patients: A Prospective Randomized Controlled Study

Introduction: Aging is a physiological process and the elderly population is increasing. In parallel to the increasing of the elderly population, the number of geriatric patients who required an invasive procedure or surgical intervention under anesthesia are also increasing. The geriatric patients who are frailty and have a loss of functional reserve in all organ systems are more sensitive to anesthetic agents. The purpose of this research was to investigate whether low flow desflurane anesthesia also affects hepatic and kidney functions, in elderly patients. Methods: After approval from the local ethics committee, the patients were divided into two groups; as the low flow desflurane anesthesia group and the normal flow desflurane anesthesia group using the closed-envelope method. Calibration and leakage tests of the anesthesia device (Primus, Drager) were performed before anesthesia. Heamodynamics parametres, peripheral oxygen saturation, and bispectral index monitoring were performed to all patients in operating room. The blood samples were collected before anesthesia induction, after surgery, and at the postoperative 24th hour. The serum alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase levels were measured to assess the liver damage. The serum creatinine, blood urea nitrogen, and cystatin C levels were measured to assess the kidney function. Results: The serum alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, blood urea nitrogen, creatinine and cystatin C levels and hemodynamic parameters, peripheral oxygen saturation and bispectral index values were similar in both groups. Conclusions: It was concluded that low-flow desflurane anesthesia does not adversely affect liver and kidney functions in geriatric patients and is as safe as normal-flow desflurane anesthesia. Keywords: Anesthesia; Cystatin C; Desflurane; Aged; Kidney; Liver.

Reproducibility and validity of the Portuguese Edmonton Frail Scale version in cardiac surgery patients

IntroductionFrailty is a multidimensional syndrome characterized by the loss of functional reserve, associated with higher mortality and less functional survival in cardiac surgery patients. The Edmonton Frail Scale (EFS) is a comprehensive tool devised for brief frailty detection. To the best of our knowledge, there are no culturally adapted and validated frailty screening tools that enable the identification of vulnerability domains suited for use in the preoperative setting in Portugal. This was the motivation for this study. ObjectivesTo assess the validity and reproducibility of the Portuguese version of the EFS. MethodsProspective observational study, in a sample of elective cardiac surgery patients. The Edmonton Frail Scale (EFS) translation and backtranslation were performed. Demographic and clinical data were collected, and the translated EFS translated, Geriatric Depression Scale, and Mini Mental State Examination Portuguese versions, Katz and Clinical Frailty Scales were administered. To assess validity Mann–Whitney test, Spearman's correlation coefficient, marginal homogeneity test and Kappa coefficient were employed. Reproducibility was assessed estimating kappa coefficient for the frailty diagnosis and the 11 EFS items. Intra-class correlation coefficients and the corresponding 95% confidence interval were estimated using linear mixed effects model. ResultsThe EFS Portuguese version revealed construct validity for frailty identification, as well as criterion validity for cognition and mood domains. Reproducibility was demonstrated, with k=0.62 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.42–0.82) and intraclass correlation (ICC)=0.94 (95% CI 0.89–0.97) in inter-observer test and k=0.48 (95% CI 0.26–0.70) and ICC=0.85 (95% CI 0.72–0.92) in intra-observer test. ConclusionsThe EFS Portuguese version is valid and reproducible for use, suiting pre-operative frailty screening in a cardiac surgery setting.

General anesthesia in Geriatric patients in combination with Epidural anesthesia in the right colectomy

Aging involves a progressive loss of functional reserve in all organ systems, to variable extend. Moreover, perioperative morbidity becomes more frequent in the elderly with steep increases after the age of 75. The elderly are more sensitive to anesthetic agents and generally require smaller doses for the same clinical effect, and drug action is usually prolonged. In the study, a 78-year-old man with Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and a cardiac history underwent a right colectomy with a combination of general and epidural anesthesia. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the beneficial effects of epidural anesthesia when it acts in combination with general anesthesia in elderly patients.

Frailty as a growing challenge for anesthesiologists \u2013 results of a Dutch national survey

BackgroundFrailty is a multidimensional condition characterized by loss of functional reserve, which results in increased vulnerability to adverse outcomes following surgery. Anesthesiologists can reduce adverse outcomes when risk factors are recognized early and dedicated care pathways are operational. As the frail elderly population is growing, we investigated the perspective on the aging population, familiarity with the frailty syndrome and current organization of perioperative care for elderly patients among Dutch anesthesiologists.MethodsA fifteen-item survey was distributed among anesthesiologists and residents during the annual meeting of the Dutch Society of Anesthesiology. The first section included questions on self-reported competence on identification of frailty, acquaintance with local protocols and attitude towards the increasing amounts of elderly patients presenting for surgery. The second part included questions on demographic features of the participant such as job position, experience and type of hospital. Answers are presented as percentages, using the total number of replies for the question per group as a denominator.ResultsA sample of 132 surveys was obtained. The increasing number of elderly patients was primarily perceived as challenging by 76% of respondents. Ninety-nine percent agreed that frailty should influence anesthetic management, while 85% of respondents claimed to feel competent to recognize frailty. Thirty-four percent of respondents reported the use of a dedicated pathway in the preoperative approach of frail elderly patients. However, only 30% of respondents reported to know where to find the frailty screening in the patient file and appointed that frailty is not consistently documented. Interestingly, only 43% of respondents reported adequate collaboration with geriatricians. This could include for example a standardized preoperative multidisciplinary approach or dedicated pathway for the elderly patient.ConclusionsThis survey demonstrated that the increasing number of frail elderly patients is perceived as important and relevant for anesthetic management. Opportunities lie in improving the organization and effectuation of perioperative care by more consistent involvement of anesthesiologists.

Response: Frailty assessment in the COVID-19 pandemic

Dear Editor, We would like to thank Ng Cheong Chung and colleagues for their important comment on our recent manuscript demonstrating the ability of the Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS) to...

Utility of Frailty Screening Tools in Older Surgical Patients.

Frailty is a loss of functional reserve that compromises a person’s ability to cope with stressors such as surgery. Identifying and quantifying frailty may enable intensive rehabilitation interventions, caregiver support, or consideration of palliative care before surgery. This study describes the characteristics of five frailty screening tools, namely the Geriatric 8, Vulnerable Elders Survey-13, the Groningen Frailty Indicator, Edmonton Frailty Scale (EFS), and Clinical Frailty Scale. We further propose an approach incorporating a frailty scale into preoperative assessment, wherein older patients undergoing elective general surgery are screened using EFS, and frail patients are offered comprehensive geriatric assessment. The expected outcome is an individualized patient-centered care plan that will reduce frailty and optimize the patient’s condition before surgery.

Interventional Strategies to Delay Aging Related Diseases & Conditions of the Musculoskeletal System

Aging leads to several geriatric syndromes including frailty, a condition characterized by loss of functional reserve and tissue regeneration repair capacity. Frail individuals exhibit significant mobility and psychological deficits resulting in significant healthcare costs. Thus, identifying strategies to delay aging, or prevent the progressive loss of tissue homeostasis and functional reserve associated with frailty, will dramatically restore function and independence in millions of elderly patients and significantly improve quality of life. We have demonstrated that bone marrow‐derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and muscle‐derived stem/progenitor cells (MDSPCs) become dysfunctional with age. A fundamental property of aging is the accumulation of senescent cells. Senescence is a cell state defined by loss of proliferative capacity, increased metabolic activity, and importantly, resistance to apoptosis. Senescent cells can release pro‐inflammatory cytokines/chemokines, proteases, and other factors known as the senescence‐associated secretory phenotype (SASP). The SASP can adversely affect not only neighboring cells, but also likely contributes to driving systemic aging. Compounds that selectively target and kill senescent cells were recently identified and characterized. These senolytic drugs target and inhibit anti‐apoptotic pathways that are upregulated in senescent cells thereby inducing apoptotic cell death and abrogating systemic SASP factors. Importantly, senolytic drugs have a favorable safety profile being either FDA approved (dasatinib) or over the counter flavonoid supplements (quercetin, fisetin), positive findings may be more readily translatable to Phase I–II clinical trials. Further, it has been reported that exposure to factors present in the serum of young mice restores the regenerative capacity of aged progenitor cells, through parabiotic pairing. We believe that pregnancy represents a unique biological model of a naturally‐shared circulatory system between young and old organisms. Our preliminary data have demonstrated improved musculoskeletal tissue healing after injury in pregnant mice and improved differentiation capacity of aged muscle progenitor cells (MPCs) after stimulation with serum from pregnant mice. We hypothesize that circulating factors from fetal microchimeric cells (FMCs) during pregnancy have beneficial effects on maternal wound healing, such as reduction in fibrosis for optimal tissue regeneration. In summary, we believe these novel interventional strategies could be used to restore the endogenous stem cell populations in age‐related disorderst to promote healthy aging & to delay age‐related disorders.

Signal Transduction, Ageing and Disease.

Ageing is defined by the loss of functional reserve over time, leading to a decreased tissue homeostasis and increased age-related pathology. The accumulation of damage including DNA damage contributes to driving cell signaling pathways that, in turn, can drive different cell fates, including senescence and apoptosis, as well as mitochondrial dysfunction and inflammation. In addition, the accumulation of cell autonomous damage with time also drives ageing through non-cell autonomous pathways by modulation of signaling pathways. Interestingly, genetic and pharmacologic analysis of factors able to modulate lifespan and healthspan in model organisms and even humans have identified several key signaling pathways including IGF-1, NF-κB, FOXO3, mTOR, Nrf-2 and sirtuins. This review will discuss the roles of several of these key signaling pathways, in particular NF-κB and Nrf2, in modulating ageing and age-related diseases.

Management of a centenarian who underwent emergency laparoscopic cholecystectomy under general anesthesia with subcostal transversus abdominis plane block.

The anesthetic management of centenarians is challenging, since they have loss of functional reserve in all organs. The mortality rate of 25 % is reported in patients over 100 years old who underwent emergency surgery. The transversus abdominis plane block has been shown to provide effective analgesia in laparoscopic cholecystectomy. A 101-year-old woman was diagnosed with grade I (mild) acute cholecystitis with gallstones. An emergency laparoscopic cholecystectomy was scheduled. The patient had a history of hypertension. The patient’s laboratory data showed that she had mild coagulopathy, anemia, thrombocytopenia, and decreased renal function. After induction of general anesthesia, an ultrasound-guided, bilateral subcostal transversus abdominis plane block was performed. Her postoperative course was uneventful. Using the preoperative subcostal transversus abdominis plane block, we were able to avoid hemodynamic instability and to reduce opioid dosage in a centenarian who underwent emergency laparoscopic cholecystectomy under general anesthesia.

Physical frailty, disability, and dynamics in health perceptions: a preliminary mediation model.

PurposeFrailty is a condition characterized by loss of functional reserve and altered homeostatic capacity. The aging process is related with complex indicators of physiological state. This study aims, with a preliminary mediation model, to reveal the possible role of mediator of health perceptions variability in the relationship between frailty and disability.Patients and methodsA longitudinal study (100 days) was performed. Data from 92 institutionalized older adults were used in the analysis. Frailty was assessed in baseline using the Italian version of the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe – Frailty Instrument; health perceptions were assessed on a daily basis by three visual analog scale questions; and disability was measured in baseline and post-test using the Katz Activities of Daily Living questionnaire. The product-of-coefficient mediation approach was used to test direct and indirect effects of frailty.ResultsResults showed that daily variability of health perceptions plays the role of mediator between frailty and disability. In all the steps, statistically significant results were found.ConclusionThis preliminary result may indicate that physical frailty increases the variability in health perceptions contributing to disability.

Counteracting inflammation and insulin resistance with diet and exercise: A strategy for frailty prevention?

Frailty is a condition of increased vulnerability to cope with stressors, predisposing to the development of disability in basic and instrumental activities of daily living, falling, institutionalization and finally death. It is characterized by the loss of functional reserve in multiple domains resulting in a reduced tolerance to common external stresses. The pathogenetic steps conducting to frailty are not completely clear, but there is increasing evidence of a crucial role of insulin resistance and systemic inflammation in the development of frailty, disability, and related medical conditions. These two conditions may act directly, through a negative impact on homeostatic regulation and cross-systems compensation, or indirectly, by the effect of several diseases strongly related to frailty. Therefore, counteracting insulin resistance and systemic inflammation could be a powerful way to prevent the development of frailty and/or of its adverse outcomes. In this framework, diet and physical exercise may represent two important weapons in the prevention of frailty; indeed, current literature supports the effectiveness of a correct lifestyle based on a healthy diet (Mediterranean type diet) and regular physical exercise on frailty primary prevention. Studies on secondary prevention of frailty suggest that multi-component and resistance training, together with adequate energy and protein intake, might be helpful although data are still lacking. The efficacy of dietary supplementation in secondary prevention of frailty, albeit promising, remains to be confirmed in large clinical trials.

Regional anesthesia for acute pain management in elderly patients

Normal aging is a process that involves loss of functional reserve of most organ systems of the human body, most significantly: cardiovascular, pulmonary, renal and nervous systems. Advancements in both surgery and anesthesia have made it possible to operate more safely on the elderly population and those older patients with multiple severe co-morbidities that were not routinely possible in the recent past. Regional anesthesiologist have proven to be instrumental in this regard as regional anesthetic/analgesic techniques may now permit surgeons to operate on the elderly who were not ideal surgical candidates or unable to tolerate general anesthesia. In addition, regional techniques provide alternatives that may optimize acute pain control and reduce the incidence of devastating side effects during the perioperative period such as: myocardial infarction, pulmonary embolism, pneumonia, and also increases the opportunity to allow for early ambulation and shorter hospital stays. These anesthetic options now provide the elderly patient with better medical care alternatives, but also can show a significant financial impact on health care system resources. Further understanding on aging molecular biology, physiology and pathophysiology, together with technical improvements of regional anesthetic techniques will continue to make it safer and more efficacious to operate on the elderly population with evidence of reduced morbidity and mortality. Although there is only anecdotal evidence that regional anesthesia(RA) improves survival, there is little doubt that RA plays an important role in perioperative optimization of pain control and decreases pain management complications as well as a reduction in healthcare costs. Beyond traditional operating rooms, elderly patients may increasingly benefit from RA and acute pain management in Emergency Rooms, medical clinics and even within a patient's home. Therefore, the focus of this review is directed toward geriatric patients and beneficial effects of RA on outcomes in the elderly.

Signaling mechanisms involved in the response to genotoxic stress and regulating lifespan

Ageing is defined by the loss of functional reserve over time, leading to a decreased capacity to maintain homeostasis under stress and increased risk of morbidity and mortality. Ageing is extremely heterogeneous between individuals and even between tissues within an organism, making it challenging to identify the molecular basis of ageing. Much of our current understanding of ageing comes from genetic studies in model organisms seeking genes that either accelerate or decelerate the ageing process. These studies revealed not only causes of ageing, but also signaling mechanisms that both promote and protect against ageing. In all cases, the signaling pathways that influence lifespan are familiar mechanisms that regulate cellular metabolism, growth, proliferation, differentiation and survival. This review highlights the significant overlap in signaling mechanisms implicated in both the cellular response to genotoxic stress and regulation of organism lifespan.

The role of exercise in the treatment of cardiovascular disease associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

The role of exercise training in the prevention and treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus has been studied extensively over the past two decades. Although the primary treatment aim for patients with type 2 diabetes is metabolic control, the morbidity and mortality associated with the disease is more a function of cardiovascular disease. As exercise is associated with favourable reductions in the risk for cardiovascular disease in other high-risk populations, here we explore the role of exercise in the treatment of cardiovascular maladaptations associated with type 2 diabetes. The cardiovascular adaptation to type 2 diabetes is characterised by hypertrophy, stiffening and loss of functional reserve. Clinically, the cardiovascular adaptations to the diabetic state are associated with an increased risk for cardiovascular disease. Functionally, these adaptations have been shown to contribute to a reduced exercise capacity, which may explain the reduced cardiovascular fitness observed in this population. Exercise training is associated with improved exercise capacity in various populations, including type 2 diabetes. Several structural and functional adaptations within the cardiovascular system following exercise training could explain these findings, such as reductions in ventricular and vascular structural hypertrophy and compliance coupled with increased functional reserve. Although these cardiovascular adaptations to aerobic exercise training have been well documented in older populations with similar decrements in cardiovascular fitness and function, they have yet to be examined in patients with type 2 diabetes. For this reason, we contend that exercise training may be an excellent therapeutic adjunct in the treatment of diabetic cardiovascular disease.

The pathophysiologic profile of congestive heart failure.

Congestive heart failure (CHF) evolves either from an excessive workload or in response to loss of myocardium, both of which cause cardiac hypertrophy, increased cardiac pressure, and loss of functional reserve. Nearly 60% of patients in heart failure present with ischemic cardiomyopathy, which in its chronic form exhibits biventricular dilatation, elevated left ventricular mass, and extensive large-vessel atherosclerosis. The hypertrophy is proportional to the loss of myocardium, although animal studies suggest this varies with the infarct size. However, recent studies indicate that early afterload reduction may relieve the hypertrophic stimulus and prevent degeneration. Some 30% to 40% of patients in heart failure present with an idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy, with a patchy but diffuse loss of tissue on microscopy, reactive hypertrophy in the surviving cells, and interstitial fibrosis and replacement scarring. The ultrastructural changes still await clarification. The role of pharmacologic intervention still remains unclear. However, any reduction in mortality will necessitate the identification of those cellular changes that inevitably lead to secondary degeneration of the remaining viable myocardium.