Telegeriatria: caso clínico: abril 2009 [Telegero]

Educação Superior::Ciências da Saúde::MedicinaApresenta uma conferência que discute o caso clínico de uma paciente da geriatria, com quadro de cefaléia e agravamento da doença devido a sintomas de depressão. São apresentados os sintomas da paciente com o estudo dos antecedentes de doenças anteriores e casos de depressão na família , assim como os medicamentos que ela usava. Trata do estudo do caso através de uma gama de exames propostos para chegar ao melhor tratamento do paciente. Apresenta os resultados de seus exames e hipóteses diagnósticas. São esclarecidos os efeitos de fármacos e iatrogenia em idosos. Traz a importância do uso de medicamentos em idosos devido as complicações que o medicamento pode ocasionar. Concluem a discussão realçando os cuidados do tratamento em idosos principalmente com a utilização de remédios nestes tratamento

Prevalence of functional cognitive impairment and associated factors in Brazilian community-dwelling older adults

ABSTRACT The identification of the prevalence of cognitive impairment and associated factors among older adults is important in countries facing rapid demographic transition, given the significant implications for public policy and health planning. Objective: To determine the prevalence of functional cognitive impairment (FCI) and associated factors in Brazilian community-dwelling older adults. Methods: A cross-sectional study involving 461 elderly subjects residing in Fortaleza city, Ceará was conducted. Cognitive assessment was performed using three tests: the MMSE (Mini-Mental State Examination), VF (Verbal Fluency) and CT (Clock Test). The functional capacity evaluation was based on a survey of 21 basic and instrumental activities of daily living (ADLs). Cognitive impairment was defined by MMSE cut-off points adjusted for literacy. Functional impairment was defined as dependency to carry out more than four ADLs. Results: The prevalence of FCI was 13.64% (95% CI: 10.33 to 16.64%). FCI was proportionally associated with age with OR=2.24 (95% CI: 1.04 to 4.79) for individuals aged 70 to 79 years and OR=8.27 (95 % CI: 4.27 to 16.4) for those aged 80 to 100 years. FCI was associated with self-reported diseases including hypertension OR=2.06 (95% CI: 1.17 to 3.65), stroke OR=2.88 (95% CI: 1.66 to 5.00) and acute myocardial infarction OR=2.94 (95% CI: 1.59 to 5.42). The occurrence of FCI was proportionally correlated with the number of drugs used. Conclusion: Functional cognitive impairment is a prevalent condition in Brazilian community-dwelling older adults and its occurrence is associated with age, number of drugs used, and vascular morbidities

Feasibility indicators of telemedicine for patients with dementia in a public hospital in Northeast Brazil during the COVID-19 pandemic.

BackgroundThe use of telemedicine has become a fundamental tool in healthcare in recent years, especially at times of Covid-19 pandemic. Currently, there are several telemedicine tools that are simple, inexpensive, and effective means of communication. This article aims to describe indicators of feasibility including patient recruitment, attendance, discomfort (internet connection issues and/or noncompliant patient behavior), satisfaction, and travel time and cost savings of virtual telemedicine consultations for patients with dementia.MethodsThe study was conducted at the Geriatrics Department of Hospital Universitário Walter Cantídio (HUWC) in Fortaleza, Brazil, between May 1st and December 31, 2020. The eligibility criteria included previous diagnosis of dementia syndrome and receiving care at the hospital's dementia outpatient clinic in face-to-face consultations in the preceding 12 months. Patients were excluded if they did not feel comfortable with virtual consultations, did not have the required communication technology available or their caregiver was not available to attend the remote consultation. The patients were recruited from the outpatient dementia clinic's medical appointment scheduling list. The intervention was designed as a one-time consultation and it included treatment approaches and health promotion recommendations.ResultsPatient recruitment, attendance and discomfort rates were 85.5%, 97.7% and 9.4%, respectively. To attend face-to-face visits, they reported an average travel time (including the consultation) of 233.21 minutes and average total cost of 60.61 reais (around USD 11). The study intervention was well accepted among the patients and their caregivers with 97.6% being satisfied. Many were happy to avoid long waits in crowded medical waiting rooms and the risk of covid-19 contagion.ConclusionsWe found good recruitment, attendance, and acceptance rates of remote care for the follow-up of dementia patients as well as low discomfort rates.Trial registrationBrazilian Trial Registry (REBEC) RBR-9xs978

Clinical correlates of sarcopenia and falls in Parkinson's disease.

BACKGROUND:Sarcopenia is a complex and multifactorial geriatric condition seen in several chronic degenerative diseases. This study aimed to screen for sarcopenia and fall risk in a sample of Parkinson's disease (PD) patients and to investigate demographic and clinical factors associated. METHODS:This is a cross-sectional study. We evaluated 218 PD patients at the Movement Disorders Clinic in Fortaleza, Brazil, and collected clinical data including experiencing falls in the six months prior to their medical visit. Probable sarcopenia diagnosis was confirmed by using a sarcopenia screening tool (SARC-F questionnaire) and the presence of low muscle strength. RESULTS:One hundred and twenty-one patients (55.5%) were screened positive for sarcopenia using the SARC-F and 103 (47.4%) met the criteria for probable sarcopenia. Disease duration, modified Hoehn and Yahr stage, Schwab and England Activities of Daily Living Scale score, levodopa equivalent dose, probable sarcopenia and positive SARC-F screening were all associated with experiencing falls. Disease duration, lower quality of life and female gender were independently associated with sarcopenia. Experiencing falls was significantly more frequent among patients screened positive in the SARC-F compared to those screened negative. CONCLUSIONS:Sarcopenia and PD share common pathways and may affect each other's prognosis and patients' quality of life. Since sarcopenia is associated with lower quality of life and increased risk of falls, active case finding, diagnosis and proper management of sarcopenia in PD patients is essential