Clinical features and outcomes of elderly hospitalised patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, heart failure or both

Background and objective: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and heart failure (HF) mutually increase the risk of being present in the same patient, especially if older. Whether or not this coexistence may be associated with a worse prognosis is debated. Therefore, employing data derived from the REPOSI register, we evaluated the clinical features and outcomes in a population of elderly patients admitted to internal medicine wards and having COPD, HF or COPD + HF. Methods: We measured socio-demographic and anthropometric characteristics, severity and prevalence of comorbidities, clinical and laboratory features during hospitalization, mood disorders, functional independence, drug prescriptions and discharge destination. The primary study outcome was the risk of death. Results: We considered 2,343 elderly hospitalized patients (median age 81 years), of whom 1,154 (49%) had COPD, 813 (35%) HF, and 376 (16%) COPD + HF. Patients with COPD + HF had different characteristics than those with COPD or HF, such as a higher prevalence of previous hospitalizations, comorbidities (especially chronic kidney disease), higher respiratory rate at admission and number of prescribed drugs. Patients with COPD + HF (hazard ratio HR 1.74, 95% confidence intervals CI 1.16-2.61) and patients with dementia (HR 1.75, 95% CI 1.06-2.90) had a higher risk of death at one year. The Kaplan-Meier curves showed a higher mortality risk in the group of patients with COPD + HF for all causes (p = 0.010), respiratory causes (p = 0.006), cardiovascular causes (p = 0.046) and respiratory plus cardiovascular causes (p = 0.009). Conclusion: In this real-life cohort of hospitalized elderly patients, the coexistence of COPD and HF significantly worsened prognosis at one year. This finding may help to better define the care needs of this population

Anestesia para separação de gêmeos isquiópagos no período neonatal: relato de caso

JUSTIFICATIVA E OBJETIVOS: A separação de gêmeos unidos causa grande interesse devido à complexidade da anestesia e cirurgia, à raridade da patologia e às poucas chances de sobrevida. O objetivo desta descrição é o de contribuir para a literatura existente, relatando os desafios encontrados por nossa equipe no atendimento à cirurgia-anestesia de separação de gêmeos isquiópagos. RELATO do CASO: Pacientes gêmeos, nascidos a termo, de parto cesariano, pesando juntos 5.100 g, classificados como isquiópagus tetrapus. Duas equipes anestésico-cirúrgicas estavam presentes, sendo o procedimento anestésico esquematizado com aparelho de anestesia, cardioscópio, capnógrafo, oxímetro de pulso, termômetro elétrico, estetoscópio esofágico, todos em dobro. Realizou-se indução anestésica com halotano e fentanil, com os gêmeos em posição lateral e com rotação da cabeça em 45º para facilitar a intubação traqueal. Os recém-nascidos foram mantidos em ventilação controlada manualmente, utilizando o sistema de Rees-Baraka. A anestesia foi mantida com halotano, oxigênio e fentanil. Durante o per-operatório, foram encontrados órgãos abdominais duplos, com exceção do cólon, que era único. As bexigas e os ísquios estavam ligados. Ao final da cirurgia as duas crianças apresentavam-se com sinais vitais estáveis. Os gêmeos permaneceram na Unidade de Terapia Intensiva (UTI) Neonatal por quatro semanas e receberam alta em bom estado geral. CONCLUSÕES: Ressalta-se a importância do entrosamento da equipe, do estudo retrospectivo multidisciplinar, da monitorização adequada e acurada observação clínica; todos esses fatores contribuíram para a boa evolução e alta dos gêmeos.JUSTIFICATIVA Y OBJETIVOS: La separación de gemelos unidos causa gran interés debido a la complexidad de la anestesia y cirugía, a la raridad de la patología y a las pocas chances de sobrevida. El objetivo de esta descripción es el de contribuir para la literatura existente, relatando los desafíos encontrados por nuestro equipo en el atendimiento a la cirurgia-anestesia de separación de gemelos isquiópagos. RELATO do CASO: Pacientes gemelos, nacidos a término, de parto cesariano, pesando juntos 5.100 g, clasificados como isquiópagus tetrapus. Dos equipos anestésico-quirúrgicos estaban presentes, siendo el procedimiento anestésico esquematizado con aparato de anestesia, cardioscópio, capnógrafo, oxímetro de pulso, termómetro eléctrico, estetoscópio esofágico, todos en duplo. Se realizó inducción anestésica con halotano y fentanil, con los gemelos en posición lateral y con rotación de la cabeza en 45º para facilitar la intubación traqueal. Los recién-nacidos fueron mantenidos en ventilación controlada manualmente, utilizando el sistema de Rees-Baraka. La anestesia fue mantenida con halotano, oxígeno y fentanil. Durante el per-operatorio, fueron encontrados organismos abdominales duplos, con excepción del cólon, que era único. Las vejigas y los ísquios estaban ligados. Al final de la cirugía los dos niños se presentaban con señales vitales estables. Los gemelos permanecieron en la Unidad de Terapia Intensiva (UTI) Neonatal por cuatro semanas y recibieron alta en buen estado general. CONCLUSIONES: Se resalta la importancia del engranaje del equipo, del estudio retrospectivo multidisciplinar, de la monitorización adecuada y perfeccionada observación clínica; todos esos factores contribuyeron para la buena evolución y alta de los gemelos.BACKGROUND and OBJECTIVES: The separation of conjoined twins has always raised considerable interest because of surgical and anesthetic complexity, pathology rarity and few survival chances. The goal of this description was to contribute to existing literature by reporting the challenges faced by our team during an anesthetic-surgical procedure for ischiopagus twins separation. CASE REPORT: Term conjoined twins, born from Cesarean section, weighing together 5100 g, who were classified as ischiopagus tetrapus. Two anesthetic-surgical teams were present and the anesthetic procedure was programmed using two units of each device: anesthesia machine, cardioscope, capnograph, pulse oximetry, electric thermometer and esophageal stethoscope. Halothane and fentanyl were used for anesthesia induction, with the twins in the lateral position and 45º head rotation to allow tracheal intubation. Ventilation was manually controlled using Rees-Baraka systems. Anesthesia was also maintained with halothane, fentanyl and oxygen. Double abdominal organs were found during surgery, except for the single colon. Bladders and ischia were joined. At surgery completion, twins had stable vital signs. They remained in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit for four weeks and were discharged in good general conditions. CONCLUSIONS: The importance of the team s meshing of gears, multidisciplinary retrospective studies, adequate and careful monitoring and good clinical observation is emphasized. All those factors contributed for twins good evolution

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

Use of oral anticoagulant drugs in older patients with atrial fibrillation in internal medicine wards

No abstract availabl

Use of oral anticoagulant drugs in older patients with atrial fibrillation in internal medicine wards

Atrial \ufb01brillation is independently associated with a higher risk of morbidity and mortality, in particular with an increased risk of thromboembolic events. Use of oral anticoagulant (OAC) drugs reduces the risk of stroke and systemic embolism, as well as mortality among patients with AF. With the aim to provide evidences about use of OAC and NOACs in older hospitalized patients, we here report data about the retrospective observational phase of the \u201c Simulation-Based Technologies to Improve the Appropriate Use of Oral Anticoagulants in Hospitalized Elderly Patients with Atrial Fibrillation\u201d (SIM-AF) Tria

Appropriateness of prescription of oral anticoagulant therapy in acutely hospitalized older people with atrial fibrillation. Secondary analysis of the SIM-AF cluster randomized clinical trial

Aims: To assess the appropriateness of oral anticoagulant (OAC) prescription and its associated factors in acutely hospitalized elderly patients. Methods: Data were obtained from the prospective phase of SIM-AF (SIMulation-based technologies to improve the appropriate use of oral anticoagulants in hospitalized elderly patients with Atrial Fibrillation) randomized controlled trial, aimed to test whether an educational intervention improved OAC prescription, compared to current clinical practice, in internal medicine wards. In this secondary analysis, appropriateness of OAC prescription was assessed at hospital admission and discharge. Results: For 246 patients, no significant differences were found between arms (odds ratio 1.38, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.84\u20132.28) in terms of appropriateness of OAC prescription. Globally, 92 patients (37.4%, 95% CI = 31.6\u201343.6%) were inappropriately prescribed or not prescribed at hospital discharge. Among 51 patients inappropriately prescribed, 82% showed errors on dosage, being mainly under-dosed (n = 29, 56.9%), and among 41 inappropriately not prescribed, 98% were taking an antiplatelet drug. Factors independently associated with a lower probability of appropriateness at discharge were those related to a higher risk of bleeding (older age, higher levels of aspartate aminotransferase, history of falls, alcohol consumption) and antiplatelet prescription at admission. The prescription of OACs at admission was the strongest predictor of appropriateness at discharge (odds ratio = 7.43, 95% CI = 4.04\u201313.73). Conclusions: A high proportion of hospitalized older patients with AF remains inappropriately prescribed or nonprescribed with OACs. The management of these patients at hospital admission is the strongest predictor of prescription appropriateness at discharge

Appropriateness of oral anticoagulant therapy prescription and its associated factors in hospitalized older people with atrial fibrillation

Aims: Although oral anticoagulants (OACs) are effective in preventing stroke in older people with atrial fibrillation (AF), they are often underused in this particularly high-risk population. The aim of the present study was to assess the appropriateness of OAC prescription and its associated factors in hospitalized patients aged 65 years or older. Methods: Data were obtained from the retrospective phase of Simulation-based Technologies to Improve the Appropriate Use of Oral Anticoagulants in Hospitalized Elderly Patients With Atrial Fibrillation (SIM-AF) study, held in 32 Italian internal medicine and geriatric wards. The appropriateness of OAC prescription was assessed, grouping patients in those who were and were not prescribed OACs at hospital discharge. Multivariable logistic regression was used to establish factors independently associated with the appropriateness of OAC prescription. Results: A total of 328 patients were included in the retrospective phase of the study. Of these, almost 44% (N = 143) were inappropriately prescribed OACs, being mainly underprescribed or prescribed an inappropriate antithrombotic drug (N = 88). Among the patients prescribed OACs (N = 221), errors in the prescribed doses were the most frequent cause of inappropriate use (N = 55). Factors associated with a higher degree of patient frailty were inversely associated with the appropriateness of OAC prescription. Conclusions: In hospitalized older patients with AF, there is still a high prevalence of inappropriate OAC prescribing. Characteristics usually related to frailty are associated with the inappropriate prescribing. These findings point to the need for targeted interventions designed for internists and geriatricians, aimed at improving the appropriate prescribing of OACs in this complex and high-risk population