Utility of hospitalization for elderly individuals affected by COVID-19

Background During the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of individuals needing hospital admission has sometimes exceeded the availability of hospital beds. Since hospitalization can have detrimental effects on older individuals, preference has been given to younger patients. The aim of this study was to assess the utility of hospitalization for elderly affected by COVID-19. We hypothesized that their mortality decreases when there is greater access to hospitals. Methods This study examined 1902 COVID-19 patients consecutively admitted to three large hospitals in Milan, Italy. Overall mortality data for Milan from the same period was retrieved. Based on emergency department (ED) data, both peak and off-peak phases were identified. The percentage of elderly patients admitted to EDs during these two phases were compared by calculating the standardized mortality ratio (SMR) of the individuals younger than, versus older than, 80 years. Results The median age of the patients hospitalized during the peak phase was lower than the median age during the off-peak phase (64 vs. 75 years, respectively; p <0.001). However, while the SMR for the younger patients was lower during the off-peak phase (1.98, 95% CI: 1.72–2.29 versus 1.40, 95% CI: 1.25–1.58, respectively), the SMR was similar between both phases for the elderly patients (2.28, 95% CI: 2.07–2.52 versus 2.48, 95% CI: 2.32–2.65, respectively). Conclusions Greater access to hospitals during an off-peak phase did not affect the mortality rate of COVID-19-positive elderly patients in Milan. This finding, if confirmed in other settings, should influence future decisions regarding resource management of health care organizations.

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ACUTE KIDNEY INJURY IN ELDERLY PATIENTS

Wiadomości Lekarskie ◽

10.36740/wlek201908109 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 72 (8) ◽

pp. 1466-1472

Author(s):

Grażyna Kobus ◽

Jolanta Małyszko ◽

Hanna Bachórzewska-Gajewska

Keyword(s):

Acute Kidney Injury ◽

Renal Failure ◽

Acute Renal Failure ◽

Elderly Patients ◽

Older Patients ◽

Age Groups ◽

Kidney Injury ◽

The Elderly ◽

Younger Patients ◽

Common Cause

Introduction: In the elderly, impairment of kidney function occurs. Renal diseases overlap with anatomic and functional changes related to age-related involutionary processes. Mortality among patients with acute renal injury is approximately 50%, despite advances in treatment and diagnosis of AKI. The aim: To assess the incidence of acute kidney injury in elderly patients and to analyze the causes of acute renal failure depending on age. Materials and methods: A retrospective analysis included medical documentation of patients hospitalized in the Nephrology Clinic during the 6-month period. During this period 452 patients were hospitalized in the clinic. A group of 77 patients with acute renal failure as a reason for hospitalization was included in the study. Results: The prerenal form was the most common cause of AKI in both age groups. In both age groups, the most common cause was dehydration; in the group of patients up to 65 years of age, dehydration was 29.17%; in the group of people over 65 years - 43.39%. Renal replacement therapy in patients with AKI was used in 14.29% of patients. In the group of patients up to 65 years of age hemodialysis was 16.67% and above 65 years of age. -13.21% of patients. The average creatinine level in the group of younger patients at admission was 5.16 ± 3.71 mg / dl, in the group of older patients 3.14 ± 1.63 mg / dl. The size of glomerular filtration GFR in the group of younger patients at admission was 21.14 ± 19.54 ml / min, in the group of older patients 23.34 ± 13.33 ml / min. Conclusions: The main cause of acute kidney injury regardless of the age group was dehydration. Due to the high percentage of AKI in the elderly, this group requires more preventive action, not only in the hospital but also at home.

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Safety of High-Dose Dabigatran in Elderly and Younger Patients with a Low Bleeding Risk: A Prospective Observational Study

Cardiology ◽

10.1159/000516368 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-5

Author(s):

Aharon Erez ◽

Gregory Golovchiner ◽

Robert Klempfner ◽

Ehud Kadmon ◽

Gustavo Ruben Goldenberg ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Observational Study ◽

Elderly Patients ◽

Prospective Observational Study ◽

Bleeding Risk ◽

The Elderly ◽

High Dose ◽

World Population ◽

Younger Patients ◽

End Point

Introduction: In patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) at risk for stroke, dabigatran 150 mg twice a day (DE150) is superior to warfarin for stroke prevention. However, there is paucity of data with respect to bleeding risk at this dose in elderly patients (≥75 years). We aimed to evaluate the safety of DE150 in comparison to warfarin in a real-world population with AF and low bleeding risk (HAS-BLED score ≤2). Methods: In this prospective observational study, 754 consecutive patients with AF and HAS-BLED score ≤2 were included. We compared outcome of elderly patients (age ≥75 tears) to younger patients (age <75 years). The primary end point was the combined incidence of all-cause mortality, stroke, systemic emboli, and major bleeding event during a mean follow-up of 1 year. Results: There were 230 (30%) elderly patients, 151 patients were treated with warfarin, and 79 were treated with DE150. Fifty-two patients experienced the primary endpoint during the 1-year follow-up. Among the elderly, at 1-year of follow-up, the cumulative event rate of the combined endpoint in the DE150 and warfarin was 8.9 and 15.9% respectively (p = 0.14). After adjustment for age and gender, patients who were treated with DE150 had a nonsignificant difference in the risk for the combined end point as patients treated with warfarin both among the elderly and among the younger population (HR 0.58, 95% C.I = 0.25–1.39 and HR = 1.12, 95% C.I 0.62–2.00, respectively [p for age-group-by-treatment interaction = 0.83). Conclusions: Our results suggest that Dabigatran 150 mg twice a day can be safely used among elderly AF patients with low bleeding risk.

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Cochlear implantation in elderly patients: stability of outcome over time

The Journal of Laryngology & Otology ◽

10.1017/s0022215116008197 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 130 (8) ◽

pp. 706-711 ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

O Hilly ◽

E Hwang ◽

L Smith ◽

D Shipp ◽

J M Nedzelski ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Elderly Patients ◽

Cochlear Implantation ◽

Short Form ◽

Age Groups ◽

The Elderly ◽

Long Term Results ◽

Profound Hearing Loss ◽

Younger Patients ◽

Over Time

AbstractBackground:Cochlear implantation is the standard of care for treating severe to profound hearing loss in all age groups. There is limited data on long-term results in elderly implantees and the effect of ageing on outcomes. This study compared the stability of cochlear implantation outcome in elderly and younger patients.Methods:A retrospective chart review of cochlear implant patients with a minimum follow up of five years was conducted.Results:The study included 87 patients with a mean follow up of 6.8 years. Of these, 22 patients were older than 70 years at the time of implantation. Hearing in Noise Test scores at one year after implantation were worse in the elderly: 85.3 (aged under 61 years), 80.5 (61–70 years) and 73.6 (aged over 70 years;p= 0.039). The respective scores at the last follow up were 84.8, 85.1 and 76.5 (p= 0.054). Most patients had a stable outcome during follow up. Of the elderly patients, 13.6 per cent improved and none had a reduction in score of more than 20 per cent. Similar to younger patients, elderly patients had improved Short Form 36 Health Survey scores during follow up.Conclusion:Cochlear implantation improves both audiometric outcome and quality of life in elderly patients. These benefits are stable over time.

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Coronary artery disease in the elderly

Reviews in Clinical Gerontology ◽

10.1017/s0959259899009120 ◽

1999 ◽

Vol 9 (1) ◽

pp. 13-21 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

SK Glen ◽

NA Boon

Keyword(s):

Coronary Artery Disease ◽

Coronary Artery ◽

Elderly Patients ◽

Treatment Guidelines ◽

Treatment Options ◽

The Elderly ◽

Elderly Subjects ◽

Younger Patients ◽

Artery Disease ◽

Morbid Conditions

Coronary artery disease is extremely common among elderly people and accounts for half of all deaths in those who are more than 65 years old. Although the condition is essentially the same as that encountered in younger patients, the management of coronary artery disease in elderly subjects can be difficult because the anticipated benefits and risks of the various treatment options are often altered by the presence of co-morbid conditions. Moreover, the results of the major outcome studies that underpin most treatment guidelines may not be relevant to the needs of many elderly patients for several reasons.

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Typical Trigeminal Neuralgia: Comparison of Results between Patients Older and Younger than 65 Years Operated on with Microvascular Decompression by Retrosigmoid Approach

Journal of Neurological Surgery Part A Central European Neurosurgery ◽

10.1055/s-0039-1693126 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 81 (01) ◽

pp. 028-032 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Luciano Mastronardi ◽

Franco Caputi ◽

Alessandro Rinaldi ◽

Guglielmo Cacciotti ◽

Raffaelino Roperto ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Trigeminal Neuralgia ◽

Elderly Patients ◽

Microvascular Decompression ◽

Cerebrospinal Fluid Leak ◽

The Elderly ◽

Retrosigmoid Approach ◽

Younger Patients ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Elderly Cohort

Abstract Objective The incidence of typical trigeminal neuralgia (TN) increases with age, and neurologists and neurosurgeons frequently observe patients with this disorder at age 65 years or older. Microvascular decompression (MVD) of the trigeminal root entry zone in the posterior cranial fossa represents the etiological treatment of typical TN with the highest efficacy and durability of all treatments. This procedure is associated with possible risks (cerebellar hematoma, cranial nerve injury, stroke, and death) not seen with the alternative ablative procedures. Thus the safety of MVD in the elderly remains a topic of discussion. This study was conducted to determine whether MVD is a safe and effective treatment in older patients with TN compared with younger patients. Methods In this retrospective study, 28 patients older than 65 years (elderly cohort: mean age 70.9 ± 3.6 years) and 38 patients < 65 years (younger cohort: mean age 51.7 ± 6.3 years) underwent MVD via the keyhole retrosigmoid approach for type 1 TN (typical) or type 2a TN (typically chronic) from November 2011 to November 2017. A 75-year-old patient and three nonelderly patients with type 2b TN (atypical) were excluded. Elderly and younger cohorts were compared for outcome and complications. Results At a mean follow-up 26.0 ± 5.5 months, 25 patients of the elderly cohort (89.3%) reported a good outcome without the need for any medication for pain versus 34 (89.5%) of the younger cohort. Twenty-three elderly patients with type 1 TN were compared with 30 younger patients with type 1 TN, and no significant difference in outcomes was found (p > 0.05). Five elderly patients with type 2a TN were compared with eight younger patients with type 2a TN, and no significant difference in outcomes was noted (p > 0.05). There was one case of cerebrospinal fluid leak and one of a cerebellar hematoma, both in the younger cohort. Mortality was zero in both cohorts. Conclusions On the basis of our experience and the international literature, age itself does not seem to represent a major contraindication of MVD for TN.

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Tapentadol Prolonged Release for Severe Chronic Osteoarthritis Pain in the Elderly—A Subgroup Analysis of Routine Clinical Practice Data

Pain Research and Management ◽

10.1155/2020/5759265 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 2020 ◽

pp. 1-10 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Andreas Schwittay ◽

Melanie Sohns ◽

Birgit Heckes ◽

Christian Elling

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Clinical Practice ◽

Elderly Patients ◽

Subgroup Analysis ◽

The Elderly ◽

Routine Clinical Practice ◽

Prolonged Release ◽

Younger Patients ◽

Quality Of Life Measures

Background. Tapentadol prolonged release (PR) has been shown effective and generally well tolerated in a broad range of chronic pain conditions. This subgroup analysis investigated its benefits for elderly patients with severe chronic osteoarthritis (OA) pain in routine clinical practice. Patients and Methods. Data of all patients with chronic OA pain were extracted from the database of a prospective, 3-month noninterventional tapentadol PR trial. The data of elderly OA patients (>65 years of age; n = 752) were compared with the data of younger OA patients (≤65 years; n = 282). Results. Almost all patients (elderly 98.7% and younger patients 99.3%) had received long-term analgesic medication prior to the start of tapentadol PR treatment but presented with severe pain accompanied by considerable impairments in sleep quality and quality of life measures. Tapentadol PR provided effective pain relief in both patient groups, with slightly better outcomes in younger patients. However, the mean baseline pain intensity of 7.1 (SD 1.5) was reduced by 3.8 points (p≤0.001), and sleep and quality of life measures had also markedly improved in the elderly: quality of sleep by 3 points, quality of life by 3.4 points, social activities by 3 points, and independence by 2.7 points (p≤0.001 for all measures; 11-point scale). At the end of observation, 68% of the elderly had clinically relevant pain reductions of at least 50% (vs baseline), and 87.9% attained either their intended pain reduction target and/or an additional individual treatment target (both predefined during baseline examination). Only 8.4% of the elderly experienced adverse drug reactions, most frequently nausea (2.7% of patients) and dizziness (1.5%). Conclusion. Tapentadol PR provided effective and well-tolerated treatment of severe chronic OA pain for elderly patients in routine clinical practice. The favorable tolerability profile in particular suggests tapentadol PR as a treatment option before classical strong opioids are considered.

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Age-Related Variances in Patients with Tibial Plateau Fractures

The Journal of Knee Surgery ◽

10.1055/s-0039-1683893 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 33 (06) ◽

pp. 611-615 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Lasun O. Oladeji ◽

John R. Worley ◽

Brett D. Crist

Keyword(s):

Elderly Patients ◽

Tibial Plateau ◽

Tibial Plateau Fracture ◽

The Elderly ◽

Tibial Plateau Fractures ◽

Mechanism Of Injury ◽

Younger Patients ◽

Age Related ◽

Comorbidity Burden ◽

Plateau Fracture

AbstractTibial plateau fractures account for approximately 8% of fractures in the elderly population. Treatment strategies in the elderly are similar to those for younger patients; however, practitioners must account for the elevated comorbidity burden in this population. To date, few studies have analyzed age-based outcomes in patients with tibial plateau fractures. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine age-related variances in demographics, fracture characteristics, mechanism of injury, and complications. A 10-year retrospective review was conducted to identify patients who received treatment for a tibial plateau fracture. There were 351 patients (360 tibial plateau fractures) who were identified and subsequently stratified according to their age at the time of injury. Patients were classified as elderly if they were 65 years of age or older at the time of injury; all other patients were included in the control cohort. These two cohorts were analyzed using bivariate analysis to isolate for age-related variations with respect to risk factors, mechanism of injury, and complications. There were 351 patients (360 tibial plateau fractures) with a median follow-up of 1.84 ± 2.44 years who met inclusion criteria. There were a greater proportion of women in the elderly cohort as compared with the younger cohort (60.0 vs. 43.4%, p = 0.06). Elderly patients were significantly more likely to present with diabetes (33.3 vs. 16.1%, p = 0.01) or osteoporosis (14.3 vs. 1.6%, p = 0.001). Younger patients were significantly more likely to require further surgery to address ligament (12.6 vs. 0%, p = 0.008), meniscus (20.9 vs. 7.1%, p = 0.036), or cartilage pathology (13.6 vs. 0%, p = 0.005). There was no difference in the arthroplasty conversion rate (4.8% elderly vs. 7.9% control, p = 0.755). While elderly patients presented with a greater comorbidity burden, they had equivalent or better short-term outcomes when compared with their younger peers when treated with open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF). Despite the recent interest in primary total knee arthroplasty for elderly patients with tibial plateau fractures, the results of this study suggest that elderly patients may respond well when treated with ORIF following a tibial plateau fracture.

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Liver resection for colorectal liver-limited metastases in elderly patients: a propensity score matching analysis

World Journal of Surgical Oncology ◽

10.1186/s12957-020-02055-8 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 18 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Ke-Min Jin ◽

Kun Wang ◽

Quan Bao ◽

Hong-Wei Wang ◽

Bao-Cai Xing

Keyword(s):

Propensity Score ◽

Elderly Patients ◽

Propensity Score Matching ◽

Disease Free Survival ◽

The Elderly ◽

Multivariate Regression Analysis ◽

Cancer Specific Survival ◽

Younger Patients ◽

Propensity Score Matching Analysis ◽

American Society

Abstract Background Few studies have focused on the role of hepatectomy for colorectal liver-limited metastases in elderly patients compared to matched younger patients. Methods From January 2000 to December 2018, 724 patients underwent hepatectomy for colorectal liver-limited metastases. Based on a 1:2 propensity score matching (PSM) model, 64 elderly patients (≥ 70 years of age) were matched to 128 younger patients (< 70 years of age) to obtain two balanced groups with regard to demographic, therapeutic, and prognostic factors. Results There were 73 elderly and 651 younger patients in the unmatched cohort. Compared with the younger group (YG), the elderly group (EG) had significantly higher proportion of American Society of Anesthesiologists score III and comorbidities and lower proportion of more than 3 liver metastases and postoperative chemotherapy (p < 0.05). After PSM for these factors, rat sarcoma virus proto-oncogene/B-Raf proto-oncogene (RAS/BRAF) mutation status and primary tumor sidedness, the EG had significantly less median intraoperative blood loss than the YG (175 ml vs. 200 ml, p = 0.046), a shorter median postoperative hospital stay (8 days vs. 11 days, p = 0.020), and a higher readmission rate (4.7% vs.0%, p = 0.036). The EG also had longer disease-free survival (DFS), overall survival (OS), and cancer-specific survival (CSS) compared to the YG, but these findings were not statistically significant (p > 0.05). Old age was not an independent factor for DFS, OS, and CSS by Cox multivariate regression analysis (p > 0.05). Conclusions Hepatectomy is safe for colorectal liver-limited metastases in elderly patients, and these patients may subsequently benefit from prolonged DFS, OS, and CSS.

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Systemic Therapy for Elderly Patients with Gastrointestinal Cancer

Clinical Medicine Insights Oncology ◽

10.4137/cmo.s6983 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 5 ◽

pp. CMO.S6983 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Joleen M. Hubbard ◽

Axel Grothey ◽

Daniel J. Sargent

Keyword(s):

Clinical Trials ◽

Elderly Patients ◽

Systemic Therapy ◽

Survival Benefit ◽

Older Patients ◽

The Elderly ◽

Age Group ◽

Gastrointestinal Cancers ◽

Younger Patients ◽

Multiple Trials

The majority of patients with gastrointestinal cancers are over the age of 65. This age group comprises the minority of the patients enrolled in clinical trials, and it is unknown whether older patients achieve similar results as younger patients in terms of survival benefit and tolerability. In addition, there are few studies specifically designed for patients over 65 years. Subset analyses of individual trials and studies using pooled patient data from multiple trials provide some understanding on outcomes in older patients with gastrointestinal cancers. This article reviews the evidence on chemotherapeutic regimens in the elderly with colorectal, pancreatic, and gastroesophageal cancers, and discusses a practical approach to provide the best outcomes for older patients.

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Surgery for meningioma in the elderly and long-term survival: comparison with an age- and sex-matched general population and with younger patients

Journal of Neurosurgery ◽

10.3171/2016.2.jns152611 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 126 (4) ◽

pp. 1201-1211 ◽

Cited By ~ 21

Author(s):

Benjamin Brokinkel ◽

Markus Holling ◽

Dorothee Cäcilia Spille ◽

Katharina Heß ◽

Cristina Sauerland ◽

...

Keyword(s):

General Population ◽

Elderly Patients ◽

Older Patients ◽

The Elderly ◽

Spinal Tumors ◽

Subtotal Resection ◽

High Grade ◽

Younger Patients ◽

Age And Sex

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to compare long-term prognosis after meningioma surgery in elderly and younger patients as well as to compare survival of elderly patients with surgically treated meningioma to survival rates for the general population. METHODS Five hundred meningioma patients (median follow-up 90 months) who underwent surgery between 1994 and 2009 were subdivided into “elderly” (age ≥ 65 years, n = 162) and “younger” (age < 65 years, n = 338) groups for uni- and multivariate analyses. Mortality was compared with rates for the age- and sex-matched general population. RESULTS The median age at diagnosis was 71 in the elderly group and 51 years in the younger group. Sex, intracranial tumor location, grade of resection, radiotherapy, and histopathological subtypes were similar in the 2 groups. High-grade (WHO Grades II and III) and spinal tumors were more common in older patients than in younger patients (15% vs 8%, p = 0.017, and 12% vs 4%, p = 0.001, respectively). The progression-free interval (PFI) was similar in the 2 groups, whereas mortality at 3 months after surgery was higher and median overall survival (OS) was shorter in older patients (7%, 191 months) than in younger patients (1%, median not reached; HR 4.9, 95% CI 2.75–8.74; p < 0.001). Otherwise, the median OS in elderly patients did not differ from the anticipated general life expectancy (HR 1.03, 95% CI 0.70–1.50; p = 0.886). Within the older patient group, PFI was lower in patients with high-grade meningiomas (HR 24.74, 95% CI 4.23–144.66; p < 0.001) and after subtotal resection (HR 10.57, 95% CI 2.23–50.05; p = 0.003). Although extent of resection was independent of perioperative mortality, the median OS was longer after gross-total resection than after subtotal resection (HR 2.7, 95% CI 1.09–6.69; p = 0.032). CONCLUSIONS Elderly patients with surgically treated meningioma do not suffer from impaired survival compared with the age-matched general population, and their PFI is similar to that of younger meningioma patients. These data help mitigate fears concerning surgical treatment of elderly patients in an aging society.

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