SPAIN: Less Functional Deterioration In Elderly Patients In Care Units

MADRID, Spain (Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics), November 26, 2007: Results were available today online of a study on reduction of functional deterioration during hospitalization in an acute geriatric unit, conducted at the Division of Geriatrics, Department of Medicine, Hospital Nacional Dos de Mayo, Lima, Peru, and Department of Geriatric Medicine, Hospital Central Cruz Roja, Madrid, Spain. The purpose was to compare the incidence of functional deterioration of elderly patients hospitalized in acute care geriatric units compared to that in a conventional care unit. A prospective controlled study was performed over 9 months of patients above 65 years old with acute medical pathology. Upon discharge, the degree of functional deterioration was compared to the basal level before admission of both groups. Of the 143 patients studied, 68 were admitted to the geriatric care unit and 75 to the conventional care unit. In the geriatric unit, the incidence of functional deterioration occurred in 13 patients (19.1%), while in the conventional care unit it occurred in 30 (40%). The odds ratio of developing functional deterioration at discharge in the conventional care unit, compared to the geriatric unit was 4.24. The length of stay was shorter in the geriatric unit. It was concluded that the elderly patients admitted to a geriatric care unit showed less functional deterioration on discharge compared with those kept in another care unit of a conventional type. Corresponding author at: Department of Geriatric Medicine, Hospital Central Cruz Roja, Servicio de Geriatría, Avda. Reina Victoria 26, 28003 Madrid, Spain. Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics Copyright © 2007 Elsevier Ireland Ltd