Scientific evidence for octogenarians and nonagenarians

OBJECTIVE: Evaluate the characteristics of scientific medical studies including patients over 80 years old, from january 2000 to october 2009. METHODS: We searched the eletronic database MEDLINE, and two regional databases (Scielo and Lilacs). We used search terms "octogenarians" or "nonagenarians" at the title, and filter to identify articles in english language, with abstracts and articles with patients over 80 years old. Data were extracted from articles and studies were classified according to level of evidence based on Oxford Center for Evidence-Based Medicine classification. RESULTS: Three hundred ninety-five studies were found at MEDLINE database, the number of studies increased fourfold from 2000 to 2008, 18 studies in 2000 and 63 studies in 2008. The majority of studies were classified as clinical research (291 studies, 73,7%), observational (339 studies, 85,8%) and retrospective (260 studies, 65,8%). Only 6 studies (1,5%) evaluate interventions. Cardiac surgery departments published more among the articles found (106 studies, 26,8%), followed by cardiology (62 studies, 15,7%). American studies wer the most common (128 studies, 32,4%). Only 6,7% were produced by Geriatric departments. CONCLUSION: The number of scientific evidence with very old patients increased in the last years. Clinical research, obsertational studies and retrospectives were the main characteristics found. The best level of evidence found was 1B. Cardiac surgery and cardiology produced more studies. In regional database we found more national studies.</p

Characterisation of microbial attack on archaeological bone

As part of an EU funded project to investigate the factors influencing bone preservation in the archaeological record, more than 250 bones from 41 archaeological sites in five countries spanning four climatic regions were studied for diagenetic alteration. Sites were selected to cover a range of environmental conditions and archaeological contexts. Microscopic and physical (mercury intrusion porosimetry) analyses of these bones revealed that the majority (68%) had suffered microbial attack. Furthermore, significant differences were found between animal and human bone in both the state of preservation and the type of microbial attack present. These differences in preservation might result from differences in early taphonomy of the bones. © 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved