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Adverse consequences of hospitalization in the elderly
Social Science & Medicine (1982)
|January 1, 1982
Summary
Hospitalized elderly patients frequently develop functional decline and require medical interventions, increasing complication risks. Assessing functional status outside the hospital may identify patients who do not benefit from hospitalization.
Area of Science:
- Geriatric Medicine
- Internal Medicine
- Patient Safety
Background:
- Hospitalization can lead to adverse events unrelated to a patient's acute illness.
- Elderly patients are particularly vulnerable to functional decline during hospitalization.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the incidence of functional decline and subsequent medical interventions in hospitalized patients.
- To assess the risk of complications associated with these interventions, especially in the elderly.
Main Methods:
- Prospective examination of 502 general medical patients.
- Categorization of patients into younger (<70) and elderly (≥70) groups.
- Analysis of functional symptoms, medical interventions, and estimated complication rates from literature.
Main Results:
- Elderly patients (40.5%) were significantly more likely than younger patients (8.8%) to develop symptoms of depressed psychophysiologic functioning.
- Medical interventions were common in both groups, with higher rates in the elderly (47.1%) vs. younger (37.9%).
- Estimated complication risk was substantially higher for the elderly (5.7%) compared to younger patients (1.0%).
Conclusions:
- Hospitalized elderly individuals face a high risk of functional decline and iatrogenic complications.
- The study suggests evaluating functional status and non-hospital treatment efficacy to determine optimal patient management.
- Further research is needed to validate complication rates and explore alternatives to hospitalization for at-risk patients.