Accelerometry assessed physical activity of older adults hospitalized with acute medical illness - an observational study.

In a hospital setting and among older patients, inactivity and bedrest are associated with a wide range of negative outcomes such as functional decline, increased risk of falls, longer hospitalization and institutionalization. Our aim was to assess the distribution, determinants and predictors of physical activity (PA) levels using wrist-worn accelerometers in older patients hospitalized with acute medical illness. Observational study conducted from February to November 2018 at an acute internal medicine unit in the University hospital of Lausanne, Switzerland. We enrolled 177 patients aged ≥65 years, able to walk prior to admission. PA during acute hospital stay was continuously recorded via a 3D wrist accelerometer. Clinical data was collected from medical records or by interview. Autonomy level prior to inclusion was assessed using Barthel Index score. PA levels were defined as < 30 mg for inactivity, 30-99 mg for light and ≥ 100 for moderate PA. Physically active patients were defined as 1) being in the highest quartile of time spent in light and moderate PA or 2) spending ≥20 min/day in moderate PA. Median [interquartile range - IQR] age was 83 [74-87] years and 60% of participants were male. The median [IQR] time spent inactive and in light PA was 613 [518-663] and 63 [30-97] minutes/day, respectively. PA peaked between 8 and 10 am, at 12 am and at 6 pm. Less than 10% of patients were considered physically active according to definition 2. For both definitions, active patients had a lower prevalence of walking aids and a lower dependency level according to Barthel Index score. For definition 1, use of medical equipment was associated with a 70% reduction in the likelihood of being active: odds ratio (OR) 0.30 [0.10-0.92] p = 0.034; for definition 2, use of walking aids was associated with a 75% reduction in the likelihood of being active: OR = 0.24 [0.06-0.89], p = 0.032. Older hospitalized patients are physically active only 10% of daily time and concentrate their PA around eating periods. Whether a Barthel Index below 95 prior to admission may be used to identify patients at risk of inactivity during hospital stay remains to be proven

La lettre de sortie dans la transition entre l’hôpital et l’ambulatoire [The discharge summary in the transition between hospital and ambulatory care]

The hospital discharge letter is an important tool for transmitting medical information during the transition from inpatient to outpatient care. It promotes continuity of care, as well as quality and safety of medical care. Nevertheless, several challenges exist within a university hospital department that may make it difficult to transmit these documents in a timely manner. In this article we describe a project to improve the quality and rapidity of the transmission of discharge letters in our internal medicine department, composed of organizational and formative measures

Effets indésirables immunomédiés des inhibiteurs de points de contrôle immunitaire: point de vue de l’interniste [Immune-related adverse events of checkpoint inhibitors: an internist/general practitioner's point of view]

Immune checkpoint inhibitors have radically changed oncology by significantly improving prognosis and survival of many patients, even at an advanced or metastatic stage. Some patients undergoing immunotherapy develop adverse immune-related events, presenting a toxicity spectrum that can affect any organ, separately or simultaneously, with different intensities depending on the treatment used and patient characteristics. We hereby suggest a diagnostic and therapeutic approach that any internist, general practitioner or emergency doctor should have facing digestive, cardiac and pulmonary toxicities

Validation of Seven Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Risk Scores in a Population-Based Cohort: The CoLaus Study.

To assess the validity of seven type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) risk scores in predicting the 10-year incidence of T2DM in a Swiss population-based study. The prospective study included 5131 participants (55% women, age range 35 to 75 years) living in Lausanne, Switzerland. The baseline survey was conducted between 2003 and 2006, and the average follow-up was 10.9 years. Five clinically-based scores (the Balkau, Kahn clinical, Griffin, Swiss Diabetes Association [SDAS], and Finnish Diabetes Risk Score [FINDRISC]) and two clinically and biologically based scores (the Kahn CB and Wilson) were tested. 405 (7.9%) participants developed T2DM. The overall prevalence of participants at high risk ranged from 13.7% for the Griffin score to 43.3% for the Balkau score. The prevalence of participants at high risk among those who developed T2DM ranged from 34.6% for the Griffin score to 82.0% for the Kahn CB score. The Kahn CB score had the highest area under the ROC (value and 95% confidence interval: 0.866 [0.849-0.883]), followed by the FINDRISC (0.818 [0.798-0.838]), while the Griffin score had the lowest (0.740 [0.718-0.762]). Sensitivities and specificities were above 70%, except for the Griffin and the Kahn C scores (for sensitivity) and the Balkau score (for specificity). The numbers needed to screen ranged from 15.5 for the Kahn CB score to 36.7 for the Griffin score. The Kahn CB and the FINDRISC scores performed the best out of all the scores. The FINDRISC score could be used in an epidemiological setting, while the need for blood sampling for the Kahn CB score restricts its use to a more clinical setting

Intelligence artificielle en médecine interne : développement d’un modèle prédictif des durées de séjour [Artificial Intelligence in internal medicine : development of a model predicting length of stay for non-elective admissions]

Efficient management of hospitalized patients requires carefully planning each stay by taking into account patients' pathologies and hospital constraints. Therefore, the ability to accurately estimate length of stays allows for better interprofessional tasks coordination, improved patient flow management, and anticipated discharge preparation. This article presents how we built and evaluated a predictive model of length of stay based on clinical data available upon admission to a division of internal medicine. We show that Machine Learning-based approaches can predict lengths of stay with a similar level of accuracy as field experts

Association Between Physical Activity Levels in the Hospital Setting and Hospital-Acquired Functional Decline in Elderly Patients.

The effects of in-hospital physical activity (PA) on outcomes among elderly patients has seldom been assessed. To assess PA levels among elderly patients hospitalized for acute medical illness and to examine the association between PA levels and functional decline and other clinical outcomes at discharge. This monocentric cohort study was performed among patients 65 years or older who were admitted for acute medical illness to the internal medicine ward of Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland, from February 1 through November 30, 2018. Data were analyzed from January 1 through December 2, 2019. Daytime and 24-hour PA levels assessed via wrist accelerometers and measured in millig units (mG; 1 mG = 9.80665 × 10-3 m/s2). Functional decline (defined as a ≥5-point decrease in the modified Barthel Index), risk of bedsores, length of stay (LOS), and inability to return home. A total of 177 patients (106 [59.9%] men; median age, 83 [interquartile range, 74-87] years) were included. Lower mean (SD) PA levels were found in patients using walking aids before admission (daytime, 12 [5] vs 15 [7] mG; 24-hour, 10 [3] vs 11 [5] mG), those admitted for a reason associated with functional decline (daytime, 12 [6] vs 14 [7] mG; 24-hour, 10 [4] vs 11 [4] mG), or those prescribed physiotherapy (daytime, 12 [5] vs 15 [7] mG; 24-hour, 10 [4] vs 12 [5] mG). At discharge, functional decline was found in 63 patients (35.6%; 95% CI, 25.6%-43.1%), bedsore risk in 78 (44.1%; 95% CI, 36.6%-51.7%), and inability to return home in 82 (46.3%; 95% CI, 38.8%-54.0%). After multivariate analysis, no association was found between PA levels and functional decline (multivariable-adjusted mean [SE], 13 [1] vs 13 [1] mG for daytime levels [P = .69] and 10 [1] vs 11 [1] mG for 24-hour PA levels [P = .45]) or LOS (Spearman rank correlation, ρ = -0.06 for daytime PA levels [P = .93] and -0.01 for 24-hour PA levels [P = .52]). Patients at risk of bedsores had significantly lower PA levels than those not at risk (multivariable-adjusted mean [SE], 12 [1] vs 15 [1] mG for daytime PA levels [P = .008]; 10 [1] vs 12 [1] mG for 24-hour PA levels [P = .01]). Patients able to return home had significantly higher PA levels than those institutionalized (multivariable-adjusted mean [SE], 14 [1] vs 12 [1] mG for daytime PA levels [P = .04]; 11 [1] vs 10 [1] mG for 24-hour PA levels [P = .009]). In this study, lower in-hospital daytime and 24-hour PA levels were associated with risk of bedsores and inability to return home on discharge. These findings are important given that one-third of elderly patients present with hospital-acquired functional decline