Lower Barthel Index Research Articles

Influence of socioeconomic status on in-hospital mortality and morbidity after stroke in India: Retrospective hospital-based cohort study

Objectives:To determine an association between socioeconomic status and in-hospital outcome in Indian patients with stroke.Materials and Methods:Retrospective hospital-based cohort study. The hospital stroke register was used for this study. The independent variables were demographic job status, education, cardiovascular risk factors, comorbidities and the score on the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS). The outcome variables were mortality and Barthel′s index (BI) score at discharge.Results:Data of 599 consecutive patients comprising 370 men (54.3%) and 229 women (33.6%) was available for analysis. Their mean age was 55.63±15.36 years. Age, diagnosis (ischemic or hemorrhagic), midline shift, smoking and GCS were significantly associated with mortality and BI score (P<0.05). There was a statistically significant association between employment status and BI at discharge (P=0.03) in univariate analysis. In multivariate analysis, joblessness was associated with lower BI at discharge (P=0.02) after adjustment for GCS motor score and stroke subtype.Conclusion:Our study shows that in patients with stroke, lower employment status is associated with poor outcome at discharge from the hospital. The association is independent of other prognostic factors.

Association between Functional Status of Chinese Nursing Home Older Adults and Long Term Mortality

To investigate the strength of association between impaired functional status and long-term (3-year) mortality in Chinese nursing home older adults. A 3-year prospective multicenter cohort study. Nine nursing homes in Hong Kong. A total of 672 nursing home older adults (224 men; 448 women), mean age 85.0 ± 7.4. Functional statuses of participants were assessed by Barthel Index (BI) and participants were stratified into different groups according to their BI score: BI score 100, BI score 75-95, BI score 45-70, BI score 15-40, and BI score 0-10. Other covariates included age, sex, comorbidities, score of abbreviated mental test, serum albumin, serum creatinine, serum hemoglobin, and hospitalization in the preceding year. The outcome measures were the 1-year, 2-year, and 3-year all-cause mortality. Older adults with lower BI score had significantly higher all-cause mortality and this trend persisted in 1-year, 2-year, and 3-year mortality (P < .001). After multivariate analysis, there was a dose-response relationship in hazard ratio (HR) between BI score and 3-year all-cause mortality (compared with BI score 100; BI score 75-95: HR 1.38 [CI: 1.00-2.56; P < .05]; BI score 45-70: HR 1.80 [CI: 1.04-3.11; P < .001]; BI score 15-40: HR 2.12 [1.21-3.70; P < .001]; BI score 0-10: HR 3.13 [1.82-5.41; P<.001]; and trend test P < .05). Similar relationships were found in 1-year and 2-year mortality. Impaired functional status is associated with higher short-term and long-term mortality with a dose-response relationship in Chinese nursing home older adults.

Different Functional Outcomes in Patients with Delirium and Subsyndromal Delirium One Month after Hospital Discharge

Background: Subsyndromal delirium has an increasing relevance in the medical literature. There are only three studies in hospitalized elderly patients. Our goal is to demonstrate the importance of this syndrome in a population with more complexity and cognitive impairment than in previous studies. Methods: Prospective multicentre study in three tertiary hospitals. The health outcomes recorded in the follow-up at 1 month were the persistence of delirium, hospital readmission, discharge destination, death, Barthel index and the Delirium Rating Scale Revised 98. To assess the impact of delirium in the Barthel index at 30 days, we adjusted univariate and multivariate linear regression models. Results: 85 patients were enrolled; 75.3% of the patients had at least 1 positive item in the Confusion Assessment Method; 45 patients (53%) were diagnosed with delirium and 19 (22.3%) with subsyndromal delirium (SSD). The 30-day risk of death was associated with lower levels of albumin (p = 0.021) and the Cumulative Illness Rating Scale in Geriatrics (CIRS-G; p = 0.003). Adjusting for CIRS-G and the initial Barthel index, the diagnosis of delirium appears to be related to a lower Barthel index at 30 days (p = 0.019), showing a significant linear gradient (p < 0.005). Conclusion: SSD could help get more accurate diagnoses as well as improve patient management.

Poststroke fatigue is associated with caudate infarcts

ObjectiveThe caudate nucleus may be involved in the pathogenesis of the fatigue observed in neurological disorders. However, the significance of caudate lesions in poststroke fatigue (PSF) is unknown. This study examined the association between caudate infarcts and PSF. MethodsFive hundred Chinese patients with acute ischemic stroke admitted to the acute stroke unit of a university-affiliated regional hospital in Hong Kong participated in the study. All participants were assessed for PSF with the Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS) three months after their index stroke. PSF was defined as a mean FSS score of 4.0 or more. Physical functioning and depressive symptoms were measured by the Barthel Index (BI) and the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS). ResultsOne hundred and twenty-five (25.0%) of the patients had PSF. Compared to the non-fatigue group, the PSF patients were more likely to be women and had hyperlipidemia, lower BI and higher GDS scores. Caudate (8.0% versus 1.3%, p=0.001) and putamen (19.2% versus 12.0%, p=0.043) acute infarcts were more common in the PSF group, whereas pons infarcts (13.6% versus 22.2%, p=0.038) were less common. Acute caudate infarcts remained an independent predictor of PSF in the multivariate analysis, with an odds ratio of 6.4. ConclusionsThe results suggest that patients with PSF are more likely to have caudate infarcts.

Why do general medical patients have a lengthy wait in the emergency department before admission?

Emergency department (ED) overcrowding is a universal problem, especially with the shortage of hospital beds. We studied the characteristics and outcomes of patients with prolonged ED stays, which has rarely been studied before. We conducted a retrospective study at a tertiary medical center in Taiwan. Prolonged stay in the ED was defined as a stay of more than 72 hours in the ED before admission. The medical records were reviewed for data analysis. From November 1, 2009 to January 31, 2010, a total of 1364 general medical patients were enrolled. The mean age was 66.4±17.8 years, with 53.4% male. The mean Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) was 3.0±3.1. The mean length of ED stay was 43.9±41.0 hours. The CCI (4.1±3.5 vs. 2.8±3.0, p<0.001) and do-not-resuscitate (DNR) rates (18.8% vs. 10.3%, p=0.001) of the patients with prolonged ED stays were higher than those of the patients with shorter stays. For patients with high CCI (≥3) and DNR consent, the odds ratio of prolonged ED stay was 1.73 and 1.60, respectively. Patients with prolonged ED stays also had a lower Barthel index (60.3±34.8 vs. 66.4, p=0.011) and higher in-hospital mortality (11.6% vs. 6.0%, p=0.006). Complex comorbidities and terminal conditions with DNR consent were associated with the prolonged ED stay for general medical patients. The hospital manager should pay attention to general medical patients with multiple comorbidities as well as those who require palliative care.

Age and other risk factors of pneumonia among residents of Polish long-term care facilities

Pneumonia is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in the elderly population. Nursing home-acquired pneumonia (NHAP) is probably the largest health problem in long-term care facilities (LTCFs). It is the second most common infection in LTCFs and frequently requires hospitalization. The aim of this study was to investigate the incidence rate of NHAP among LTCF residents, its microbial etiology, and the frequency of multidrug-resistant microorganisms. Risk factors for NHAP were analyzed. This was a prospective study conducted on a group of 217 elderly subjects aged ≥65 years, recruited from the inhabitants of LTCFs, with disabled elderly individuals living in the community serving as controls. Continuous surveillance was carried out from December 1, 2009 to November 30, 2010. The incidence rate of NHAP in the observed population of Polish residents was 0.6/1000 resident-days. Vulnerability to NHAP was due to the poor general condition of residents, expressed by low Barthel index values (relative risk (RR) 1.6), the activities of daily living (ADL) score (RR 1.7), the Katz scale (RR 1.2), and limited physical activity (RR 1.6). Also significant were malnutrition (RR 2.3), the use of a bladder catheter (RR 1.3), dysphagia (RR 1.7), tracheotomy tube (RR 3.1), and gastric feeding tube (RR 3.5). Enterobacteriaceae were the predominant etiological agents of NHAP (56.3%). The significance of risk factors for NHAP among residents in LTCFs was confirmed. Unfortunately, we also found that a lack of proper supervision with regard to the microbiology of infections is characteristic of Polish health care and LTCFs. There is an opportunity to improve the medical care of patients with severe disabilities, limit the rise in antimicrobial resistance and the need for hospitalization, and improve the prognosis.

Case fatality of patients with stroke over a 12-month period post stroke

Stroke is among the top 4 causes of death in South Africa and the top 10 leading causes of disability worldwide. There is a dearth of literature on stroke incidence, prevalence and outcome in sub-Saharan Africa. We aimed to establish the case fatality of stroke patients over a 12-month period post discharge from hospital. A total of 200 patients with first-time ischaemic stroke were recruited from Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital and followed up for 12 months. The Barthel Index (BI) and Rivermead Mobility Index (RMI) were used to establish patient functional ability and, by inference, stroke severity. Follow-up assessments were performed at 3, 6 and 12 months post discharge. Data analysis was largely descriptive in nature. Thirty-eight per cent of patients died within the 12 month follow-up period; 25.5% within 3 months of discharge. The average length of hospital stay was 6 days. Low BI scores at discharge were observed in the majority of patients who died. The 12-month cumulative mortality was high (highest at the 3-month follow-up). The short hospital stay and poor functional ability of the patients post stroke possibly left them vulnerable to bed-rest complications, such as chest infections and pressure sores.

Anticholinergic Drugs and Functional Outcomes in Older Patients Undergoing Orthopaedic Rehabilitation

BackgroundMedications with anticholinergic (antimuscarinic) effects negatively affect physical and cognitive function in community-dwelling older patients. However, it is unknown if anticholinergic drugs exert detrimental effects in older patients undergoing rehabilitation. ObjectiveThe purpose of our study was to assess the effect of anticholinergic drug exposure on functional outcomes in older patients undergoing rehabilitation. We speculated that higher anticholinergic drug exposure would be associated with reduced functional outcomes in this group. MethodsData on clinical characteristics, full medication, anticholinergic drug exposure (total number of anticholinergic drugs [tAD] and Anticholinergic Risk Scale [ARS] score), and Barthel index (BI) score were collected on admission and discharge in a consecutive series of 117 older patients (age 79 [7] years) admitted to the orthopaedic rehabilitation unit of a teaching hospital between July 2010 and March 2011. Outcome measures were BI changes (BI on discharge – BI on admission) during rehabilitation (primary outcome) and length of stay (secondary outcome). ResultsAnticholinergic drugs were prescribed in 38 patients (32.5%). Median and interquartile range for tAD = 0 (0–1); for ARS = 0 (0–1). Poisson regression showed that higher tAD (incidence rate ratio [IRR] = 0.92; 95% CI, 0.88–0.97; P = 0.003) and ARS scores (IRR = 0.97; 95% CI, 0.95–0.99; P = 0.008) on admission independently predicted lower BI changes. Being a woman (IRR = 0.87; 95% CI, 0.78–0.97; P = 0.01), lower Abbreviated Mental Test scores (IRR = 0.94; 95% CI, 0.91–0.97; P < 0.001), and lower BI on admission (IRR = 0.98; 95% CI, 0.97–0.98; P < 0.001), but not tAD or ARS scores, independently predicted increasing length of stay. ConclusionsHigher anticholinergic drug exposure on admission independently predicts reduced functional outcomes, but not length of stay, in older patients undergoing orthopaedic rehabilitation.

Men Recover Ability to Function Less Than Women Do

The aim of this study was to investigate the association between sex and functional outcome after acute inpatient rehabilitation in hip-fracture patients. We investigated 1094 of 1186 people admitted consecutively to our rehabilitation hospital because of a hip fracture. Functional outcome was assessed using Barthel Index scores. Barthel Index efficiency (improvement per day of stay length) and Barthel Index effectiveness (proportion of potential improvement achieved) were calculated. The median Barthel Index score at discharge from inpatient rehabilitation was 85 in the 970 women and 75 in the 124 men (interquartile range, 65-95 in women and 60-95 in men, P = 0.001). Both Barthel Index efficiency and effectiveness were significantly lower in men (P = 0.030 and P = 0.007, respectively). After adjustment for six confounders, we confirmed that men had lower Barthel Index scores (P = 0.030), Barthel Index efficiency (P = 0.024), and Barthel Index effectiveness (P = 0.040). The risk of achieving a low Barthel Index score (i.e., <85) at the end of acute inpatient rehabilitation was higher for men than for women (adjusted odds ratio, 2.055; 95% CI, 1.212-3.483; P = 0.007). In our large sample of hip-fracture patients, men had a significantly worse functional outcome than did women after acute inpatient rehabilitation.

The incidence of venous thromboembolism following stroke and its risk factors in eastern China

Few studies have documented the prevalence of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in the Chinese population. We aimed to investigate the incidence of VTE following stroke and to determine the potential risk factors for the onset of VTE in patients of eastern China. A prospective multi-center study was conducted. A total of 1,380 patients with acute stroke received venous duplex ultrasound (VDU) examination on both lower limbs. The National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS), Barthel index (BI), Wells, and modified Rankin scale scores were determined. Among 1,380 cases of acute stroke, 4.49 % (62 cases) had deep venous thrombosis (DVT) and 0.80 % (11 cases) had pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE). In the cases of DVT, 48.4 % had no clinical symptoms. The independent risk factors for the incidence of DVT, following the acute stage of stroke, were an age ≥ 70 years, bed-ridden, a Wells score ≥ 2, an NIHSS score of lower limbs ≥ 3, a low BI score, and an elevated concentration of D: -dimer. Rehabilitative and anti-coagulant therapy prevented the incidence of DVT following stroke. Moreover, an age ≥ 70 years, bed-ridden and having DVT were the independent risk factors for the incidence of PTE among stroke patients during the acute stage. Finally, 1.51 % of the patients had DVT whereas no PTE occurred during the period of the follow-up study. VDU examination is recommended for patients with acute stroke, which may help to diagnose and treat asymptomatic DVT early as well as prevent the subsequent incidence of PTE.

Comparison of 2 Extended Activities of Daily Living Scales With the Barthel Index and Predictors of Their Outcomes

Basic activities of daily living measures are often supplemented by extended activities of daily living. We compared the Frenchay Activities Index (FAI) and Nottingham Extended Activities of Daily Living (NEADL) with the Barthel Index (BI) in terms of distribution of scores, concurrent validity, reliability, and their agreement and investigated the predictors of scales outcomes. Two hundred thirty-eight patients from the population-based South London Stroke Register were assessed with the BI, FAI, and NEADL 3 months after a first-ever stroke. The pairwise relationship was studied using correlations, fractional polynomial regression, and Bland and Altman plot; the baseline predictors, for example, sociodemography, case severity: National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale, and 7-day Abbreviated Memory Test, comorbidities, and acute treatments by negative binomial regression. The BI was highly affected by a ceiling effect (33% had the highest score), FAI was only affected by floor effect (19%), but NEADL was symmetrical with only 4% highest and lowest score. Despite high concurrent validity of the scales (r ≥0.80, P<0.001), they agreed poorly only for the highest and the lowest level of activities. The association and agreement of NEADL with BI was higher than that of FAI with BI. Severe stroke patients (National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale >13) had 28% lower BI (79% lower FAI and 62% lower NEADL) score than nonsevere patients (P≤0.001). Cognitively intact patients (Abbreviated Memory Test: 8-10) had 2.3 times greater FAI values (65% higher NEADL) compared with impaired patients (P<0.001). The NEADL scale was symmetrical, concurrently valid with no floor and ceiling effects. It corresponded better with BI than FAI did confirming its basic activities of daily living properties, yet it is a more sensitive tool for extended activities of daily living without the floor and ceiling effects. Future functional status could be predicted by the acute stage National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score, whereas only extended activities of daily living status could be predicted by the Abbreviated Memory Test score. Predicting future functional status at the acute stage may decrease unnecessary length of stay in acute care settings.

Mining geriatric assessment data for in-patient fall prediction models and high-risk subgroups

BackgroundHospital in-patient falls constitute a prominent problem in terms of costs and consequences. Geriatric institutions are most often affected, and common screening tools cannot predict in-patient falls consistently. Our objectives are to derive comprehensible fall risk classification models from a large data set of geriatric in-patients' assessment data and to evaluate their predictive performance (aim#1), and to identify high-risk subgroups from the data (aim#2).MethodsA data set of n = 5,176 single in-patient episodes covering 1.5 years of admissions to a geriatric hospital were extracted from the hospital's data base and matched with fall incident reports (n = 493). A classification tree model was induced using the C4.5 algorithm as well as a logistic regression model, and their predictive performance was evaluated. Furthermore, high-risk subgroups were identified from extracted classification rules with a support of more than 100 instances.ResultsThe classification tree model showed an overall classification accuracy of 66%, with a sensitivity of 55.4%, a specificity of 67.1%, positive and negative predictive values of 15% resp. 93.5%. Five high-risk groups were identified, defined by high age, low Barthel index, cognitive impairment, multi-medication and co-morbidity.ConclusionsOur results show that a little more than half of the fallers may be identified correctly by our model, but the positive predictive value is too low to be applicable. Non-fallers, on the other hand, may be sorted out with the model quite well. The high-risk subgroups and the risk factors identified (age, low ADL score, cognitive impairment, institutionalization, polypharmacy and co-morbidity) reflect domain knowledge and may be used to screen certain subgroups of patients with a high risk of falling. Classification models derived from a large data set using data mining methods can compete with current dedicated fall risk screening tools, yet lack diagnostic precision. High-risk subgroups may be identified automatically from existing geriatric assessment data, especially when combined with domain knowledge in a hybrid classification model. Further work is necessary to validate our approach in a controlled prospective setting.

Effect of Duration, Participation Rate, and Supervision During Community Rehabilitation on Functional Outcomes in the First Poststroke Year in Singapore

Koh GCHK, Saxena SK, Ng TP, Yong D, Fong NP. Effect of duration, participation rate, and supervision during community rehabilitation on functional outcomes in the first poststroke year in Singapore. ObjectiveTo examine the effect of duration, participation rate, and supervision during community rehabilitation on functional outcome during the first poststroke year. DesignProspective longitudinal study with interviews at admission, discharge, 1 month, 6 months, and 1 year after discharge. SettingTwo subacute inpatient rehabilitation units and the community after discharge in Singapore. ParticipantsSubacute nonaphasic stroke patients (N=215). InterventionParticipation rate in supervised therapy (at an outpatient rehabilitation center) and unsupervised therapy (at home) as defined as proportion of time performing therapy as prescribed by the subacute hospital's multidisciplinary rehabilitation team at discharge. Main Outcome MeasurePerformance of activities of daily living as measured by Barthel Index (BI) score at 1 year and improvement in BI scores between adjacent timepoints. ResultsAt 1 month after discharge, 33.3% were performing supervised therapy more than 25% of the recommended time, and 66.3% of subjects were performing unsupervised therapy more than 75% of the recommended time. On a mixed-model analysis, the independent predictors of lower BI scores were older age, hypertension, greater cognitive impairment, greater depressive symptoms, and greater neurologic impairment. Adjusting for these independent factors, performance of supervised therapy at 1 (β=8.8; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.5–17.0; P=.039) and 6 (β=20.1; 95% CI, 11.0–29.2; P<.001) months postdischarge, but not unsupervised therapy, predicted better BI score at 1 year. Those who performed supervised therapy more than 25% of the recommended time achieved their maximal functional recovery faster than those who performed supervised therapy 25% or less of the recommended time (1mo vs 6mo). ConclusionsSupervised stroke rehabilitation in the community at 1 and 6 months was associated with better functional status at 1 year than unsupervised therapy, and a higher participation rate in supervised therapy was associated with greater and faster functional recovery.

Correlation between urinary incontinence and localization of brain lesion and severity of neurological lesion caused by a stroke

Urinary incontinence is one of the medical problems, which may develop as a result of a stroke, and, according to several authors, its occurrence frequency may reach up to 80%. Clinical symptoms of urinary incontinence are considered to be one of the symptoms, which, along with the severity of the stroke and the level of functional limitations, allows to develop reliable predictions and to make targeted use of resources. Aim of the study, materials and methods. The aim of the study is to explore whether post-stroke urinary incontinence correlates with localization of lesion and clinical symptoms. The study includes 180 patients after a stroke, who have received treatment at Riga Eastern Clinic University Hospital Stroke Unit. All had a comprehensive clinical and functional assessment and cerebral computed tomography (CT). The examination took place at the hospital a few days after the stroke had occurred. Results. There are 180 participants to the study. Symptoms of urinary incontinence were reported for 70.6% of study participants. In 64% of cases new incontinence problems had developed, while in 6.5% of cases the previous symptoms of urinary incontinence (prior to the stroke) had worsened. The most common types of urinary incontinence in the acute period were urge and mixed incontinence (functional and urge incontinence). Patients with low Barthel Index showed higher frequency of urinary incontinence. A comparison of patient groups with and without symptoms of urinary incontinence showed that patients older than 75 years showed more symptoms of urinary incontinence (p = 0.013), and the same can be said about patients with low indicators of Barthel (p = 0.001) and patients with cognitive disorders (p = 0.001). Severity of paresis, aphasia and sensory disorders show a reliable correlation with the type of urinary incontinence. Conclusion. Symptoms of post-stroke urinary incontinence are linked both to a person's age, and functional and cognitive disorders. Urinary incontinence develops more frequently among patients with anterior circulation of the brain and subcortical brain lesion. There is a reliable correlation between severity of neurological lesion and urinary incontinence.

Circulating activated factor XI and active tissue factor as predictors of worse prognosis in patients following ischemic cerebrovascular events

Background Elevated factor (F)XI is associated with an increased risk for ischemic stroke. Activated FXI (FXIa) and tissue factor (TF) have not been studied following stroke. The aim of the current study was to evaluate circulating FXIa and TF in patients with prior cerebrovascular events. Patients/Methods We studied 241 patients, including 162 after ischemic stroke and 79 after transient ischemic attack (TIA), recruited 6 months to 4 years (median, 36 months) after the events. Plasma TF and FXIa activity following the index event were determined in clotting assays by measuring the response to inhibitory monoclonal antibodies. Results Active TF was detected in 25 (10.4%) of the patients, while FXIa activity (median, 37.5 [IQR 397] pM) was found in 64 (26.7%) of the patients (p < 0.01). The prevalence of active TF and FXIa was higher in subjects with previous stroke compared with those with a history of TIA (13% vs 5.1%, p = 0.05, and 34% vs 11.4%, p < 0.0001, respectively). Patients with circulating FXIa were younger and had higher fibrinogen and interleukin-6 compared to the remainder. Patients with detectable TF or FXIa activity had higher NIHSS score, higher modified Rankin scale and lower Barthel Index than the remaining subjects (all p < 0.05). Conclusion Circulating active TF and FXIa can occur in patients with cerebrovascular ischemic events ≥ 6 months after the events. The presence of these factors is associated with worse functional outcomes, which highlights the role of persistent hypercoagulable state in cerebrovascular disease.

Active tissue factor and activated factor XI in patients with acute ischemic cerebrovascular events

Elevated factor (F)XI and tissue factor (TF) have been reported to occur in patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS). We sought to investigate whether circulating activated FXI (FXIa) and TF on admission can predict clinical outcomes in patients with acute cerebrovascular events. In the observational study, we evaluated 205 consecutive patients aged 70 years or less within the first 72 h of acute event, including 140 with AIS and 65 with transient ischemic attack (TIA). Plasma TF and FXIa activity were determined on admission in clotting assays by measuring the response to inhibitory monoclonal antibodies. Active TF and FXIa activity were detected in 58 (28·9%) and 132 (64·4%) patients on admission, respectively. Active TF was detected in 45 of the 136 AIS patients with available TF levels (33·1%) and 13 of the 65 patients with acute TIA (20%; 0·05). Corresponding values for FXIa were 99 of the 140 (70·7%) and 33 of the 65 (50·8%; P= 0·006), respectively. Patients with detectable TF were more frequently women and hypertensive, while subjects with detectable FXIa had more often diabetes and higher levels of fibrinogen, C-reactive protein and interleukin-6 (all P < 0·05). Patients with detectable FXIa but not TF had higher National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score, higher modified Rankin scale score and lower Barthel Index at discharge (all P < 0·05). Circulating active TF and FXIa occur frequently in acute cerebrovascular ischemic events. Active FXIa in plasma might be useful as a novel risk marker of worse functional outcomes in patients with acute cerebrovascular events.

Letter to editor: Clinical profile and predictors of in-hospital outcome in patients with heart failure

We have greatly enjoyed reading the recently published manuscript by Biagi et al. [1] related with clinical profile and predictors of in-hospital outcome in patients with heart failure. In this report, functional and cognitive statuses were found to have important influence on patients' outcome. However, systolic blood pressure (SBP) b100 mm Hg, pulse pressure ≥55 mm Hg, and the presence of anemia or permanent bed rest were also found to be significantly related to negative outcomes. It is a fact that heart failure is a universally prevalent, moneyconsuming, and long-standing condition associated with heavy symptom burden, high mortality, and frequent hospital admission [2,3]. Moreover, the mean age of patients with this syndrome is getting older with accompanying comorbidities related with the senility. In this present study [1], the mean age of patients was nearly 79 years and only 10% of patients had isolated heart failure. Although the comorbidities could be the reason for longer hospital stay and also could be the marker of poor outcome and mortality, in this study [1] it was shown that the type rather than the number of comorbidities influenced the outcome. In a recent study [4], consistent with other published reports, increased serum creatinine, older age, increased heart rate, liver disease, cerebrovascular disease, low SBP, and low serum sodium were all found to be associated with in-hospital mortality in patients who were hospitalized for heart failure. In the study of Biagi et al. [1], although glomerular filtration rate and low natremiawere not significantly related toworse outcome, anemia and Barthel Index≤30which is a reliable measure of disability were found to be the predictors of poor outcome. Anemia was thought to be the result of associated comorbidities, whereas low Barthel Index could be associated with low systolic blood pressure, brain deficit or permanent bed rest which were also found to be significantly related to negative outcomes. Despite numerous advances in the treatment of chronic heart failure, the high risk of mortality in patients hospitalized for worsening heart failure is still ongoing. In this present study [1], it was reported that drugs whose mortality benefit was established in heart failure were underused at hospital admission. On the other hand, Abraham et al. [4] reported that patients taking an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor or beta-blocker at the time of admission faced lower risk of inhospital mortality. In addition to the comorbidities and the aging heart failure population, the presence of suboptimal medical therapy can also influence the patient's poor outcome. In our opinion, the results of the present study suggest that the inhospital outcome of patients hospitalized for heart failure can be identified with laboratory data, demographic data and vital signs on hospital admission. Identification of high risk patients can alert physicians to target interventions to reduce the short term mortality and also may help them to tailor treatment strategies for improving the long term outcomes. The authors of this manuscript have certified that they comply with the Principles of Ethical Publishing in the International Journal of Cardiology.

Dietary intake, nutritional status and rehabilitation outcomes of stroke patients in hospital

Nutrition affects rehabilitation through its influence on physical and mental functioning, although little attention has been paid to effects on rehabilitation outcomes. The present study aimed to describe nutritional status and food consumption in stroke patients within 2 weeks of hospital admission and before discharge, as well as to investigate the effects of nutritional and dietary factors on rehabilitation outcomes. One hundred patients from a consecutive cohort admitted to a metropolitan hospital with acute stroke were recruited and assessed by a single researcher, with 38 reassessed at discharge. Nutritional status was assessed using Mini-Nutritional Assessment and anthropometric indices and dietary intake was assessed by 1-day weighed dietary records. Rehabilitation outcomes were changes in Barthel index scores and the rehabilitation efficiency index. Few (n = 9; 10%) consumed ≥100% of the estimated average requirement (EAR) for energy within 2 weeks of admission and 13 (33%) had energy intakes <50% of EAR before discharge. A small but increasing proportion (7% at admission, 13% at discharge) were identified as being malnourished across the inpatient stay. Younger age, lower Barthel index and a higher energy intake in the early stages of admission predicted the extent and rate of restoration of functional abilities by discharge (F = 7.503, P = 0.001; F = 14.558, P < 0.001). Given a general finding of nutritional deterioration identified for these patients, as well as the identification of energy intake as a modifiable influence on the extent and rate of recovery, there is clearly scope for the multidisciplinary development of nutritional support for stroke patients to improve rehabilitation outcomes.

Prevalence and Correlates of Geriatric Frailty in a Northern Taiwan Community

Frailty is the core of geriatric syndromes in the elderly. However, there is no solid prevalence data in Taiwan even with the rapid growth of the elderly population. The aim of this study was to explore the prevalence of frailty defined by different instruments and to identify the factors associated with frailty in a northern Taiwan community. The 65-79-year old community-dwelling residents randomly selected from Toufen were first screened with a telephone version of the Chinese Canadian Study of Health and Aging Clinical Frailty Scale (CCSHA-CFS; level 1-7). Those who scored 3-6 with this instrument were evaluated at a local hospital with the Fried Frailty Index (FFI) and the Edmonton Frail Scale (EFS). Other baseline characteristics including health and functional performance were also evaluated. Among the 2900 population representative samples, 845 (29.1%) completed the CCSHA-CFS telephone interview with the prevalence of frailty approximately 11.0% [95% confidence interval (CI) 8.9-13.1]. Among the 275 who completed assessments with FFI and EFS, prevalence of frailty was 11.3% (95% CI = 7.6-15.0) by FFI and 14.9% (95% CI = 10.7-19.1) by EFS. About 57.5% of respondents had memory impairment, 29.8% experienced pain, 25.1% experienced falls, 16.7% had depression, 14.5% had urinary incontinence, and 5.8% had polypharmacy. Being older, having more complaints with falls, pain, dysphagia, polypharmacy, depression, comorbidity, longer time for the Timed Up and Go test, less education, lower Mini-Mental State Examination score, and lower Barthel Index were associated with frailer status. In multinomial logistic regression analysis, increasing age, less education status, lower Barthel Index score and depression were positively associated with physical frailty. In this study, the prevalence of frailty was from 11.0% to 14.9% by different criteria and methodology. Various correlates were independently associated with frailty status. It is suggested that intervention for frailty requires an interdisciplinary approach.

Neoplastic myelopathies and traumatic spinal cord lesions: an Italian comparison of functional and neurological outcomes

Although neoplastic spinal cord injuries (NSCIs) constitute ∼25% of all non-traumatic spinal cord lesions, patients with such pathologies are seldom, if ever, admitted to specialized centers; further, their rehabilitation typically is short because of the perception that rehabilitation prolongs hospital stays unnecessarily and is reserved only for patients with very good prognoses. This study is a retrospective analysis. The objective of this study is to evaluate the neurological and functional outcomes of patients with NSCIs compared with those of patients with traumatic spinal cord injury (TSCI). We evaluated 208 patients with TSCIs and 63 with NSCIs; using a matching cohorts procedure, 43 comparable couples were selected from each group. The measures used to assess these patients were the American Spinal Injury Association standards, the Barthel Index (BI), the Rivermead Mobility Index and the Walking Index for Spinal Cord Injury. In the general population, NSCI patients are older and have longer lesion-to-admission times and more incomplete lesions than TSCI patients. Therefore, the functional status at admission and outcomes differed between the groups. In the matching cohorts, TSCI patients had lower BI scores at admission than NSCI subjects. At discharge, the two groups had comparable functional outcomes. Neurological status was similar at admission and at discharge. Although they had slightly disparate functional levels at admission, NSCI and TSCI patients had the same outcomes at discharge. Our data suggest that in a selected cohort of NSCI patients, rehabilitation is as successful as that in TSCI subjects and allows most patients to be discharged instead of being institutionalized.