Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 16, 2025

Measuring Frailty in HIV-infected Individuals. Identification of Frail Patients is the First Step to Amelioration and Reversal of Frailty
Published on: July 24, 2013
Assessment of physical frailty in older inpatients with heart failure: A screening proposal
Nadia Mayoral-Testón1, Elena Vázquez-Jarén1, Inmaculada Fernandez-Morillo1
1Health Area Research Unit Don Benito-Villanueva, Extremadura Health Service, Fundesalud, Biosanitary University Institute of Extremadura (INUBE). Programa FREE (Frailty Evaluation in the Elderly) C/ Sierra Nevada 10- CP 06700 Villanueva de la Serena-Badajoz Spain.
Objectives:
Identifying the prevalence of physical frailty in patients aged 65 years and over admitted to hospital with heart failure.
Secondary Objective:
determining the usefulness of the FRAIL scale as a screening tool.
Methods:
Observational and cross-sectional study. Includes patients aged 65 years and over hospitalised consecutively with heart failure over one year. Sociodemographic and clinical data were collected. The Fried Phenotype, FRAIL scale and SPPB scale were used as physical frailty scales.
Results:
253 patients were included. Fried Phenotype, FRAIL scale and SPPB scale show a high prevalence of frailty, and a risk of falls associated with frailty (83.3 %, 76.1 % and 95.9 %, respectively).
Conclusions:
The prevalence of physical frailty and the risk of falls in patients admitted to hospital for heart failure aged 65 years or over is very high. FRAIL scale is a very good option as a frailty screening tool.
Related Concept Videos
Heart Failure VII: Nursing Interventions
Heart Failure VI: Adjunct Therapies
Heart Failure IV: Classification and Diagnostic Evaluation
Assessment of the Cardiovascular System I: Subjective Data
Initial Enquiry
Ask the patient about their primary concern and thoroughly explore all reported symptoms.
Medical History
Investigate past illnesses affecting the cardiovascular system, such as angina, anemia, rheumatic fever, congenital heart disease, stroke, thrombophlebitis, dysrhythmias, varicosities
Inquire about symptoms...
Heart Failure III: Clinical Manifestations
Cardiomyopathy VI: Nursing Management

