Bithalamic infarction in a tentorial dural artero-venous fistula and thalamic dementia: a case report and systematic review

Purpose: To report a case of bilateral thalamic infarction (BTI) presenting as progressive thalamic dementia due to a midline tentorial dAVF (TdAVF) and to provide a systematic review of the literature. Methods: We performed a systematic literature review of previously reported cases of bi-thalamic signal changes due to dAVF considering population characteristics, clinical presentation, imaging findings, treatments, and outcomes. Results: We found 29 papers from 1985 until 2021 describing 35 cases of BTI dAVF-related. We analysed 36 cases comprehensive of our case report. The mean age was 58.7 years (range 38-79), 91.6% were males (n=33). Most cases presented with a subacute syndrome. In 86.1% (n=31) of cases a TdAVF was found; 58.3% (n=21) were type 2 Borden-Shucart fistulas, the remaining were mostly type 3. In 80.5% (n=29), a thrombosed sinus was identified. 33.3% of cases (n=12) had bi-thalamic haemorrhages. Endovascular treatment was performed in 83.3% of cases (n=30). A total of 75% (n=27) of cases had a good recovery. Conclusions: BTIs due to dAVFs may present with subacute symptoms overlapping with several differential diagnoses. Prompt identification at MRI, before venous drainage failure and bleeding, is crucial for a good prognosis

Divergence Between Clinical Trial Evidence and Actual Practice in Use of Dual Antiplatelet Therapy After Transient Ischemic Attack and Minor Stroke

Background: Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) proved that short-term (21-90 days) dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) reduces the risk of early ischemic recurrences after a noncardioembolic minor stroke or high-risk transient ischemic attack (TIA) without substantially increasing the hemorrhagic risk. We aimed at understanding whether and how real-world use of DAPT differs from RCTs. Methods: READAPT (Real-Life Study on Short-Term Dual Antiplatelet Treatment in Patients With Ischemic Stroke or TIA) is a prospective cohort study including >18-year-old patients treated with DAPT after a noncardioembolic minor ischemic stroke or high-risk TIA from 51 Italian centers. The study comprises a 90-day follow-up from symptom onset. In the present work, we reported descriptive statistics of baseline data of patients recruited up to July 31, 2022, and proportions of patients who would have been excluded from RCTs. We compared categorical data through the χ² test. Results: We evaluated 1070 patients, who had 72 (interquartile range, 62-79) years median age, were mostly Caucasian (1045; 97.7%), and were men (711; 66.4%). Among the 726 (67.9%) patients with ischemic stroke, 226 (31.1%) did not meet the RCT inclusion criteria because of National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score >3 and 50 (6.9%) because of National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score >5. Among the 344 (32.1%) patients with TIA, 69 (19.7%) did not meet the RCT criteria because of age, blood pressure, clinical features, duration of TIA, presence of diabetes score <4 and 252 (74.7%) because of age, blood pressure, clinical features, duration of TIA, presence of diabetes score <6 and no symptomatic arterial stenosis. Additionally, 144 (13.5%) patients would have been excluded because of revascularization procedures. Three hundred forty-five patients (32.2%) did not follow the RCT procedures because of late (>24 hours) DAPT initiation; 776 (72.5%) and 676 (63.2%) patients did not take loading doses of aspirin and clopidogrel, respectively. Overall, 84 (7.8%) patients met the RCT inclusion/exclusion criteria. Conclusions: The real-world use of DAPT is broader than RCTs. Most patients did not meet the RCT criteria because of the severity of ischemic stroke, lower risk of TIA, late DAPT start, or lack of antiplatelet loading dose. Registration: URL: https://www. Clinicaltrials: gov; Unique identifier: NCT05476081

Appropriateness of antiplatelet therapy for primary and secondary cardio- and cerebrovascular prevention in acutely hospitalized older people

Aims: Antiplatelet therapy is recommended for the secondary prevention of cardio- and cerebrovascular disease, but for primary prevention it is advised only in patients at very high risk. With this background, this study aims to assess the appropriateness of antiplatelet therapy in acutely hospitalized older people according to their risk profile. Methods: Data were obtained from the REPOSI register held in Italian and Spanish internal medicine and geriatric wards in 2012 and 2014. Hospitalized patients aged ≥65 assessable at discharge were selected. Appropriateness of the antiplatelet therapy was evaluated according to their primary or secondary cardiovascular prevention profiles. Results: Of 2535 enrolled patients, 2199 were assessable at discharge. Overall 959 (43.6%, 95% CI 41.5–45.7) were prescribed an antiplatelet drug, aspirin being the most frequently chosen. Among patients prescribed for primary prevention, just over half were inappropriately prescribed (52.1%), being mainly overprescribed (155/209 patients, 74.2%). On the other hand, there was also a high rate of inappropriate underprescription in the context of secondary prevention (222/726 patients, 30.6%, 95% CI 27.3–34.0%). Conclusions: This study carried out in acutely hospitalized older people shows a high degree of inappropriate prescription among patients prescribed with antiplatelets for primary prevention, mainly due to overprescription. Further, a large proportion of patients who had had overt cardio- or cerebrovascular disease were underprescribed, in spite of the established benefits of antiplatelet drugs in the context of secondary prevention

Prognostic value of degree and types of anaemia on clinical outcomes for hospitalised older patients

Study objective This study investigated in a large sample of in-patients the impact of mild-moderate-severe anaemia on clinical outcomes such as in-hospital mortality, re-admission, and death within three months after discharge. Methods A prospective multicentre observational study, involving older people admitted to 87 internal medicine and geriatric wards, was done in Italy between 2010 and 2012. The main clinical/laboratory data were obtained on admission and discharge. Based on haemoglobin (Hb), subjects were classified in three groups: group 1 with normal Hb, (reference group), group 2 with mildly reduced Hb (10.0–11.9 g/dL in women; 10.0–12.9 g/dL in men) and group 3 with moderately-severely reduced Hb (<10 g/dL in women and men). Results Patients (2678; mean age 79.2 ± 7.4 y) with anaemia (54.7%) were older, with greater functional impairment and more comorbidity. Multivariable analysis showed that mild but not moderate-severe anaemia was associated with a higher risk of hospital re-admission within three months (group 2: OR = 1.62; 95%CI 1.21–2.17). Anaemia failed to predict in-hospital mortality, while a higher risk of dying within three months was associated with the degree of Hb reduction on admission (group 2: OR = 1.82;95%CI 1.25–2.67; group 3: OR = 2.78;95%CI 1.82–4.26) and discharge (group 2: OR = 2.37;95%CI 1.48–3.93; group 3: OR = 3.70;95%CI 2.14–6.52). Normocytic and macrocytic, but not microcytic anaemia, were associated with adverse clinical outcomes. Conclusions Mild anaemia predicted hospital re-admission of older in-patients, while three-month mortality risk increased proportionally with anaemia severity. Type and severity of anaemia affected hospital re-admission and mortality, the worst prognosis being associated with normocytic and macrocytic anaemia

Risk factors for three-month mortality after discharge in a cohort of non-oncologic hospitalized elderly patients: Results from the REPOSI study

Background: Short-term prognosis, e.g. mortality at three months, has many important implications in planning the overall management of patients, particularly non-oncologic patients in order to avoid futile practices. The aims of this study were: i) to investigate the risk of three-month mortality after discharge from internal medicine and geriatric wards of non-oncologic patients with at least one of the following conditions: permanent bedridden status during the hospital stay; severely reduced kidney function; hypoalbuminemia; hospital admissions in the previous six months; severe dementia; ii) to establish the absolute risk difference of three-month mortality of bedridden compared to non-bedridden patients. Methods: This prospective cohort study was run in 102 Italian internal medicine and geriatric hospital wards. The sample included all patients with three-months follow-up data. Bedridden condition was defined as the inability to walk or stand upright during the whole hospital stay. The following parameters were also recorded: estimated GFR <= 29 mL/min/1.73 m(2); severe dementia; albuminemia << 2.5 g/dL; hospital admissions in the six months before the index admission. Results: Of 3915 patients eligible for the analysis, three-month follow-up were available for 2058, who were included in the study. Bedridden patients were 112 and the absolute risk difference of mortality at three months was 0.13 (CI 95% 0.08-0.19, p << 0.0001). Logistic regression analysis also adjusted for age, sex, number of drugs and comorbidity index found that bedridden condition (OR 2.10, CI 95% 1.12-3.94), severely reduced kidney function (OR 2.27, CI 95% 1.22-4.21), hospital admission in the previous six months (OR 1.96, CI 95% 1.22-3.14), severe dementia (with total or severe physical dependence) (OR 4.16, CI 95% 2.39-7.25) and hypoalbuminemia (OR 2.47, CI 95% 1.12-5.44) were significantly associated with higher risk of three-month mortality. Conclusions: Bedridden status, severely reduced kidney function, recent hospital admissions, severe dementia and hypoalbuminemia were associated with higher risk of three-month mortality in non-oncologic patients after discharge from internal medicine and geriatric hospital wards

Pattern of in-hospital changes in drug use in the older people from 2010 to 2016

Purpose: To assess the pattern of in-hospital changes in drug use in older patients from 2010 to 2016. Methods: People aged 65 years or more acutely hospitalized in those internal medicine and geriatric wards that did continuously participate to the REgistro POliterapie Società Italiana di Medicina Interna register from 2010 to 2016 were selected. Drugs use were categorized as 0 to 1 drug (very low drug use), 2 to 4 drugs (low drug use), 5 to 9 drugs (polypharmacy), and 10 or more drugs (excessive polypharmacy). To assess whether or not prevalence of patients in relation to drug use distribution changed overtime, adjusted prevalence ratios (PRs) was estimated with log-binomial regression models. Results: Among 2120 patients recruited in 27 wards continuously participating to data collection, 1882 were discharged alive and included in this analysis. The proportion of patients with very low drug use (0-1 drug) at hospital discharge increased overtime, from 2.7% in 2010 to 9.2% in 2016. Results from a log-logistic adjusted model confirmed the increasing PR of these very low drug users overtime (particularly in 2014 vs 2012, PR 1.83 95% CI 1.14-2.95). Moreover, from 2010 to 2016, there was an increasing number of patients who, on polypharmacy at hospital admission, abandoned it at hospital discharge, switching to the very low drug use group. Conclusion: This study shows that in internal medicine and geriatric wards continuously participating to the REgistro POliterapie Società Italiana di Medicina Interna register, the proportion of patients with a very low drug use at hospital discharge increased overtime, thus reducing the therapeutic burden in this at risk population

Adherence to antithrombotic therapy guidelines improves mortality among elderly patients with atrial fibrillation: insights from the REPOSI study

none331noneProietti, Marco; Nobili, Alessandro; Raparelli, Valeria; Napoleone, Laura; Mannucci, Pier Mannuccio; Lip, Gregory Y. H.; Pasina, Luca; Franchi, Carlotta; Marcucci, Maura; Eldin, Tarek Kamal; Di Blanca, Maria Pia Donatella; Perticone, Francesco; Salerno, Francesco; Corrao, Salvatore; Prisco, Domenico; Silvestri, Elena; Cenci, Caterina; Emmi, Giacomo; Biolo, Gianni; Guarnieri, Gianfranco; Zanetti, Michela; Fernandes, Giovanni; Vanoli, Massimo; Grignani, Giulia; Casella, Gianluca; Bernardi, Mauro; Bassi, Silvia Li; Santi, Luca; Zaccherini, Giacomo; Mannarino, Elmo; Lupattelli, Graziana; Bianconi, Vanessa; Paciullo, Francesco; Nuti, Ranuccio; Valenti, Roberto; Ruvio, Martina; Cappelli, Silvia; Palazzuoli, Alberto; Salvatore, Teresa; Sasso, Ferdinando Carlo; Girelli, Domenico; Olivieri, Oliviero; Matteazzi, Thomas; Barbagallo, Mario; Plances, Lidia; Alcamo, Roberta; Licata, Giuseppe; Calvo, Luigi; Valenti, Maria; Zoli, Marco; Arnò, Raffaella; Pasini, Franco Laghi; Capecchi, Pier Leopoldo; Bicchi, Maurizio; Palasciano, Giuseppe; Modeo, Maria Ester; Peragine, Maria; Pappagallo, Fabrizio; Di Gennaro, Carla; Postiglione, Alfredo; Barbella, Maria Rosaria; De Stefano, Francesco; Cappellini, Maria Domenica; Fabio, Giovanna; Seghezzi, Sonia; De Amicis, Margherita Migone; Mari, Daniela; Rossi, Paolo Dionigi; Ottolini, Barbara Brignolo; Pugliese, Stefania; Lenti, Marco Vincenzo; Padula, Donatella; Murialdo, Giovanni; Marra, Alessio; Cattaneo, Federico; Secchi, Maria Beatrice; Ghelfi, Davide; Anastasio, Luigi; Sofia, Lucia; Carbone, Maria; Davì, Giovanni; Guagnano, Maria Teresa; Sestili, Simona; Mancuso, Gerardo; Calipari, Daniela; Bartone, Mosè; Meroni, Maria Rachele; Perin, Paolo Cavallo; Lorenzati, Bartolomeo; Gruden, Gabriella; Bruno, Graziella; Amione, Cristina; Fornengo, Paolo; Tassara, Rodolfo; Melis, Deborah; Rebella, Lara; Pretti, Vincenzo; Masala, Maristella Salvatora; Bolondi, Luigi; Rasciti, Leonardo; Serio, Ilaria; Fanelli, Filippo Rossi; Amoroso, Antonio; Molfino, Alessio; Petrillo, Enrico; Zuccalà, Giuseppe; Franceschi, Francesco; De Marco, Guido; Chiara, Cordischi; Marta, Sabbatini; Romanelli, Giuseppe; Delitala, Giuseppe; Chiesa, Deborah; Picardi, Antonio; Gentilucci, Umberto Vespasiani; Gallo, Paolo; Annoni, Giorgio; Corsi, Maurizio; Zazzetta, Sara; Bellelli, Giuseppe; Arturi, Franco; Succurro, Elena; Rubino, Mariangela; Sesti, Giorgio; Loria, Paola; Becchi, Maria Angela; Martucci, Gianfranco; Fantuzzi, Alessandra; Maurantonio, Mauro; Carta, Stefano; Atzori, Sebastiana; Serra, Maria Grazia; Bleve, Maria Antonietta; Gasbarrone, Laura; Sajeva, Maria Rosaria; Brucato, Antonio; Ghidoni, Silvia; Di Corato, Paola; Agnelli, Giancarlo; Marchesini, Emanuela; Fabris, Fabrizio; Carlon, Michela; Baritusso, Aldo; Manfredini, Roberto; Molino, Christian; Pala, Marco; Fabbian, Fabio; Boari, Benedetta; De Giorgi, Alfredo; Paolisso, Giuseppe; Rizzo, Maria Rosaria; Laieta, Maria Teresa; Rini, Giovanbattista; Mansueto, Pasquale; Pepe, Ilenia; Borghi, Claudio; Strocchi, Enrico; De Sando, Valeria; Sabbà, Carlo; Vella, Francesco Saverio; Suppressa, Patrizia; Valerio, Raffaella; Capobianco, Caterina; Fenoglio, Luigi; Bracco, Christian; Giraudo, Alessia Valentina; Testa, Elisa; Serraino, Cristina; Fargion, Silvia; Bonara, Paola; Periti, Giulia; Porzio, Marianna; Peyvandi, Flora; Tedeschi, Alberto; Rossio, Raffaella; Monzani, Valter; Savojardo, Valeria; Folli, Christian; Magnini, Maria; Gobbo, Giulia; Balduini, Carlo L.; Bertolino, Giampiera; Provini, Stella; Quaglia, Federica; Dallegri, Franco; Ottonello, Luciano; Liberale, Luca; Chin, Wu Sheng; Carassale, Laura; Caporotundo, Silvia; Traisci, Giancarlo; De Feudis, Lucrezia; Di Carlo, Silvia; Liberato, Nicola Lucio; Buratti, Alberto; Tognin, Tiziana; Bianchi, Giovanni Battista; Giaquinto, Sabrina; Purrello, Francesco; Di Pino, Antonino; Piro, Salvatore; Rozzini, Renzo; Falanga, Lina; Montrucchio, Giuseppe; Greco, Elisabetta; Tizzani, Pietro; Petitti, Paolo; Perciccante, Antonio; Coralli, Alessia; Salmi, Raffaella; Gaudenzi, Piergiorgio; Gamberini, Susanna; Semplicini, Andrea; Gottardo, Lucia; Vendemiale, Gianluigi; Serviddio, Gaetano; Forlano, Roberta; Masala, Cesare; Mammarella, Antonio; Basili, Stefania; Perri, Ludovica; Landolfi, Raffaele; Montalto, Massimo; Mirijello, Antonio; Vallone, Carla; Bellusci, Martino; Setti, Donatella; Pedrazzoli, Filippo; Guasti, Luigina; Castiglioni, Luana; Maresca, Andrea; Squizzato, Alessandro; Molaro, Marta; Bertolotti, Marco; Mussi, Chiara; Libbra, Maria Vittoria; Miceli, Andrea; Pellegrini, Elisa; Carulli, Lucia; Sciacqua, Angela; Quero, Michele; Bagnato, Chiara; Corinaldesi, Roberto; De Giorgio, Roberto; Serra, Mauro; Grasso, Valentina; Ruggeri, Eugenio; Salvi, Andrea; Leonardi, Roberto; Grassini, Chiara; Mascherona, Ilenia; Minelli, Giorgio; Maltese, Francesca; Gabrielli, Armando; Mattioli, Massimo; Capeci, William; Martino, Giuseppe Pio; Messina, Silvia; Ghio, Riccardi; Favorini, Serena; Col, Anna Dal; Minisola, Salvatore; Colangelo, Luciano; Afeltra, Antonella; Alemanno, Pamela; Marigliano, Benedetta; Castellino, Pietro; Blanco, Julien; Zanoli, Luca; Cattaneo, Marco; Fracasso, Paola; Amoruso, Maria Valentina; Saracco, Valter; Fogliati, Marisa; Bussolino, Carlo; Durante, Vittorio; Eusebi, Giovanna; Tirotta, Daniela; Mete, Francesca; Gino, Miriam; Cittadini, Antonio; Arcopinto, Michele; Salzano, Andrea; Bobbio, Emanuele; Marra, Alberto Maria; Sirico, Domenico; Moreo, Guido; Scopelliti, Francesco; Gasparini, Francesca; Cocca, Melissa; Nieves, Ramirez Duque; Alberto, Muela Molinero; Pedro, Abad Requejo; Vanessa, Lopez Pelaez; Lara, Tamargo; Xavier, Corbella Viros; Francesc, Formiga; Jesus, Diez Manglano; Esperanza, Bejarano Tello; Behamonte Esther, Del Corral; Maria, Sevil Puras; Romero, Manuel; Blanca, Pinilla Llorente; Cristina, Lopez Gonzalez-Cobos; Victoria, Villalba Garcia M.; Saez, Lopez; Bosco, Juan; Susana, Sanz Baena; Marta, Arroyo Gallego; Concepcion, Gonzalez Becerra; Antonio, Fernandez Moyano; Hernandez, Mercedes Gomez; Borrego, Manuel Poyato; Raquel, Pacheco Cuadros; Florencia, Perez Rojas; Beatriz, Garcia Olid; Sara, Carrascosa Garcia; Cervellera Alfonso, Gonzalez-Cruz; Marta, Peinado Martinez; Alberto, Ruiz Cantero; Antonio, Albarracín Arraigosa; Montserrat, Godoy Guerrero; Miguel Ángel, Barón Ramos; Manuel, Machin Jose; Ignacio, Novo Veleiro; Lucía, Alvela Suarez; Alfonso, Lopez; David, Rubal Bran; Iria, Iñiguez Vazquez; Monica, Rios Prego; On behalf of REPOSI investigators, nullProietti, Marco; Nobili, Alessandro; Raparelli, Valeria; Napoleone, Laura; Mannucci, Pier Mannuccio; Lip, Gregory Y. H.; Pasina, Luca; Franchi, Carlotta; Marcucci, Maura; Eldin, Tarek Kamal; Di Blanca, Maria Pia Donatella; Perticone, Francesco; Salerno, Francesco; Corrao, Salvatore; Prisco, Domenico; Silvestri, Elena; Cenci, Caterina; Emmi, Giacomo; Biolo, Gianni; Guarnieri, Gianfranco; Zanetti, Michela; Fernandes, Giovanni; Vanoli, Massimo; Grignani, Giulia; Casella, Gianluca; Bernardi, Mauro; Bassi, Silvia Li; Santi, Luca; Zaccherini, Giacomo; Mannarino, Elmo; Lupattelli, Graziana; Bianconi, Vanessa; Paciullo, Francesco; Nuti, Ranuccio; Valenti, Roberto; Ruvio, Martina; Cappelli, Silvia; Palazzuoli, Alberto; Salvatore, Teresa; Sasso, Ferdinando Carlo; Girelli, Domenico; Olivieri, Oliviero; Matteazzi, Thomas; Barbagallo, Mario; Plances, Lidia; Alcamo, Roberta; Licata, Giuseppe; Calvo, Luigi; Valenti, Maria; Zoli, Marco; Arnò, Raffaella; Pasini, Franco Laghi; Capecchi, Pier Leopoldo; Bicchi, Maurizio; Palasciano, Giuseppe; Modeo, Maria Ester; Peragine, Maria; Pappagallo, Fabrizio; Di Gennaro, Carla; Postiglione, Alfredo; Barbella, Maria Rosaria; De Stefano, Francesco; Cappellini, Maria Domenica; Fabio, Giovanna; Seghezzi, Sonia; De Amicis, Margherita Migone; Mari, Daniela; Rossi, Paolo Dionigi; Ottolini, Barbara Brignolo; Pugliese, Stefania; Lenti, Marco Vincenzo; Padula, Donatella; Murialdo, Giovanni; Marra, Alessio; Cattaneo, Federico; Secchi, Maria Beatrice; Ghelfi, Davide; Anastasio, Luigi; Sofia, Lucia; Carbone, Maria; Davì, Giovanni; Guagnano, Maria Teresa; Sestili, Simona; Mancuso, Gerardo; Calipari, Daniela; Bartone, Mosè; Meroni, Maria Rachele; Perin, Paolo Cavallo; Lorenzati, Bartolomeo; Gruden, Gabriella; Bruno, Graziella; Amione, Cristina; Fornengo, Paolo; Tassara, Rodolfo; Melis, Deborah; Rebella, Lara; Pretti, Vincenzo; Masala, Maristella Salvatora; Bolondi, Luigi; Rasciti, Leonardo; Serio, Ilaria; Fanelli, Filippo Rossi; Amoroso, Antonio; Molfino, Alessio; Petrillo, Enrico; Zuccalà, Giuseppe; Franceschi, Francesco; De Marco, Guido; Chiara, Cordischi; Marta, Sabbatini; Romanelli, Giuseppe; Delitala, Giuseppe; Chiesa, Deborah; Picardi, Antonio; Gentilucci, Umberto Vespasiani; Gallo, Paolo; Annoni, Giorgio; Corsi, Maurizio; Zazzetta, Sara; Bellelli, Giuseppe; Arturi, Franco; Succurro, Elena; Rubino, Mariangela; Sesti, Giorgio; Loria, Paola; Becchi, Maria Angela; Martucci, Gianfranco; Fantuzzi, Alessandra; Maurantonio, Mauro; Carta, Stefano; Atzori, Sebastiana; Serra, Maria Grazia; Bleve, Maria Antonietta; Gasbarrone, Laura; Sajeva, Maria Rosaria; Brucato, Antonio; Ghidoni, Silvia; Di Corato, Paola; Agnelli, Giancarlo; Marchesini, Emanuela; Fabris, Fabrizio; Carlon, Michela; Baritusso, Aldo; Manfredini, Roberto; Molino, Christian; Pala, Marco; Fabbian, Fabio; Boari, Benedetta; De Giorgi, Alfredo; Paolisso, Giuseppe; Rizzo, Maria Rosaria; Laieta, Maria Teresa; Rini, Giovanbattista; Mansueto, Pasquale; Pepe, Ilenia; Borghi, Claudio; Strocchi, Enrico; De Sando, Valeria; Sabbà, Carlo; Vella, Francesco Saverio; Suppressa, Patrizia; Valerio, Raffaella; Capobianco, Caterina; Fenoglio, Luigi; Bracco, Christian; Giraudo, Alessia Valentina; Testa, Elisa; Serraino, Cristina; Fargion, Silvia; Bonara, Paola; Periti, Giulia; Porzio, Marianna; Peyvandi, Flora; Tedeschi, Alberto; Rossio, Raffaella; Monzani, Valter; Savojardo, Valeria; Folli, Christian; Magnini, Maria; Gobbo, Giulia; Balduini, Carlo L.; Bertolino, Giampiera; Provini, Stella; Quaglia, Federica; Dallegri, Franco; Ottonello, Luciano; Liberale, Luca; Chin, Wu Sheng; Carassale, Laura; Caporotundo, Silvia; Traisci, Giancarlo; De Feudis, Lucrezia; Di Carlo, Silvia; Liberato, Nicola Lucio; Buratti, Alberto; Tognin, Tiziana; Bianchi, Giovanni Battista; Giaquinto, Sabrina; Purrello, Francesco; Di Pino, Antonino; Piro, Salvatore; Rozzini, Renzo; Falanga, Lina; Montrucchio, Giuseppe; Greco, Elisabetta; Tizzani, Pietro; Petitti, Paolo; Perciccante, Antonio; Coralli, Alessia; Salmi, Raffaella; Gaudenzi, Piergiorgio; Gamberini, Susanna; Semplicini, Andrea; Gottardo, Lucia; Vendemiale, Gianluigi; Serviddio, Gaetano; Forlano, Roberta; Masala, Cesare; Mammarella, Antonio; Basili, Stefania; Perri, Ludovica; Landolfi, Raffaele; Montalto, Massimo; Mirijello, Antonio; Vallone, Carla; Bellusci, Martino; Setti, Donatella; Pedrazzoli, Filippo; Guasti, Luigina; Castiglioni, Luana; Maresca, Andrea; Squizzato, Alessandro; Molaro, Marta; Bertolotti, Marco; Mussi, Chiara; Libbra, Maria Vittoria; Miceli, Andrea; Pellegrini, Elisa; Carulli, Lucia; Sciacqua, Angela; Quero, Michele; Bagnato, Chiara; Corinaldesi, Roberto; De Giorgio, Roberto; Serra, Mauro; Grasso, Valentina; Ruggeri, Eugenio; Salvi, Andrea; Leonardi, Roberto; Grassini, Chiara; Mascherona, Ilenia; Minelli, Giorgio; Maltese, Francesca; Gabrielli, Armando; Mattioli, Massimo; Capeci, William; Martino, Giuseppe Pio; Messina, Silvia; Ghio, Riccardi; Favorini, Serena; Col, Anna Dal; Minisola, Salvatore; Colangelo, Luciano; Afeltra, Antonella; Alemanno, Pamela; Marigliano, Benedetta; Castellino, Pietro; Blanco, Julien; Zanoli, Luca; Cattaneo, Marco; Fracasso, Paola; Amoruso, Maria Valentina; Saracco, Valter; Fogliati, Marisa; Bussolino, Carlo; Durante, Vittorio; Eusebi, Giovanna; Tirotta, Daniela; Mete, Francesca; Gino, Miriam; Cittadini, Antonio; Arcopinto, Michele; Salzano, Andrea; Bobbio, Emanuele; Marra, Alberto Maria; Sirico, Domenico; Moreo, Guido; Scopelliti, Francesco; Gasparini, Francesca; Cocca, Melissa; Nieves, Ramirez Duque; Alberto, Muela Molinero; Pedro, Abad Requejo; Vanessa, Lopez Pelaez; Lara, Tamargo; Xavier, Corbella Viros; Francesc, Formiga; Jesus, Diez Manglano; Esperanza, Bejarano Tello; Behamonte Esther, Del Corral; Maria, Sevil Puras; Romero, Manuel; Blanca, Pinilla Llorente; Cristina, Lopez Gonzalez-Cobos; Victoria, Villalba Garcia M.; Saez, Lopez; Bosco, Juan; Susana, Sanz Baena; Marta, Arroyo Gallego; Concepcion, Gonzalez Becerra; Antonio, Fernandez Moyano; Hernandez, Mercedes Gomez; Borrego, Manuel Poyato; Raquel, Pacheco Cuadros; Florencia, Perez Rojas; Beatriz, Garcia Olid; Sara, Carrascosa Garcia; Cervellera Alfonso, Gonzalez-Cruz; Marta, Peinado Martinez; Alberto, Ruiz Cantero; Antonio, Albarracín Arraigosa; Montserrat, Godoy Guerrero; Miguel Ángel, Barón Ramos; Manuel, Machin Jose; Ignacio, Novo Veleiro; Lucía, Alvela Suarez; Alfonso, Lopez; David, Rubal Bran; Iria, Iñiguez Vazquez; Monica, Rios Prego; On behalf of REPOSI investigators, Nul

Multimorbidity and polypharmacy in the elderly: Lessons from REPOSI

The dramatic demographic changes that are occurring in the third millennium are modifying the mission of generalist professionals such as primary care physicians and internists. Multiple chronic diseases and the related prescription of multiple medications are becoming typical problems and present many challenges. Unfortunately, the available evidence regarding the efficacy of medications has been generated by clinical trials involving patients completely different from those currently admitted to internal medicine: much younger, affected by a single disease and managed in a highly controlled research environment. Because only registries can provide information on drug effectiveness in real-life conditions, REPOSI started in 2008 with the goal of acquiring data on elderly people acutely admitted to medical or geriatric hospital wards in Italy. The main goals of the registry were to evaluate drug prescription appropriateness, the relationship between multimorbidity/polypharmacy and such cogent outcomes as hospital mortality and re-hospitalization, and the identification of disease clusters that most often concomitantly occur in the elderly. The findings of 3-yearly REPOSI runs (2008, 2010, 2012) suggest the following pertinent tasks for the internist in order to optimally handle their elderly patients: the management of multiple medications, the need to become acquainted with geriatric multidimensional tools, the promotion and implementation of a multidisciplinary team approach to patient health and care and the corresponding involvement of patients and their relatives and caregivers. There is also a need for more research, tailored to the peculiar features of the multimorbid elderly patient