Development of the psychometric property of a Minimum Data-Set-Based Depression Rating Scale for use in long-term care facilities in Taiwan

Objectives: Our aim is to develop the psychometric property of the Minimum Data-Set-Based Depression Rating Scale (MDS-DRS) to ensure its use to assess service needs and guide care plans for institutionalized residents.

Methods: 378 residents were recruited from the Haoran Senior Citizen Home in northern Taiwan. The MDS-DRS and GDS-SF were used to identify observable features of depression symptoms in the elderly residents.

Results: A total of 378 residents participated in this study. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve indicated that the MDS-DRS has a 43.3% sensitivity and a 90.6% specificity when screening for depression symptoms. The total variance, explained by the two factors ‘sadness’ and ‘distress,’ was 58.1% based on the factor analysis.

Conclusions: Reliable assessment tools for nurses are important because they allow the early detection of depression symptoms. The MDS-DRS items perform as well as the GDS-SF items in detecting depression symptoms. Furthermore, the MDS-DRS has the advantage of providing information to staff about care process implementation, which can facilitate the identification of areas that need improvement. Further research is needed to validate the use of the MDS-DRS in long-term care facilities.     

培哚普利对伴微量白蛋白尿老年高血压者的肾脏作用

对１４例伴微量白蛋白尿老年高血压患者应用血管紧张素转换酶抑制剂（ＡＣＥＩ）—培哚普利，短期观察２个月，结果显示：２个月后，２４小时尿白蛋白排泄显著降低（Ｐ＜０．０５），平均动脉压亦显著降低（Ｐ＜０．０５），但两者的下降无显著相关；研究期间，血肌酐、尿素氮及血钾无明显变化。资料提示：培哚普利可降低老年高血压患者尿白蛋白排泄，可能对防治高血压肾脏病变有一定作用，该作用不完全依赖于血压的降低。     

Geriatric Assessment of Older Adults With Cancer During Unplanned Hospitalizations: An Opportunity in Disguise

Background.

Geriatric assessment (GA) is an important tool for management of older cancer patients; however, GA research has been performed primarily in the outpatient setting. The primary objective of this study was to determine feasibility of GA during an unplanned hospital stay. Secondary objectives were to describe deficits found with GA, to assess whether clinicians recognized and addressed deficits, and to determine 30-day readmission rates.

Materials and Methods.

The study was designed as an extension of an existing registry, “Carolina Senior: Registry for Older Patients.” Inclusion criteria were age 70 and older and biopsy-proven solid tumor, myeloma, or lymphoma. Patients had to complete the GA within 7 days of nonelective admission to University of North Carolina Hospital.

Results.

A total of 142 patients were approached, and 90 (63%) consented to participation. All sections of GA had at least an 83% completion rate. Overall, 53% of patients reported problems with physical function, 63% had deficits in instrumental activities of daily living, 34% reported falls, 12% reported depression, 31% had ≥10% weight loss, and 12% had abnormalities in cognition. Physician documentation of each deficit ranged from 20% to 46%. Rates of referrals to allied health professionals were not significantly different between patients with and without deficits. The 30-day readmission rate was 29%.

Conclusion.

GA was feasible in this population. Hospitalized older cancer patients have high levels of functional and psychosocial deficits; however, clinician recognition and management of deficits were poor. The use of GA instruments to guide referrals to appropriate services is a way to potentially improve outcomes in this vulnerable population.

Implications for Practice:

Geriatric assessment (GA) is an important tool in the management of older cancer patients; however, its primary clinical use has been in the outpatient setting. During an unplanned hospitalization, patients are extremely frail and are most likely to benefit from GA. This study demonstrates that hospitalized older adults with cancer have high levels of functional deficits on GA. These deficits are under-recognized and poorly managed by hospital-based clinicians in a tertiary care setting. Incorporation of GA measures during a hospital stay is a way to improve outcomes in this population.     

Management of complications of androgen deprivation therapy in the older man

Prostate cancer is the most common malignancy in older men. With the aging of the population, the number of older men with prostate cancer will grow rapidly. Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) is the mainstay of treatment for men with systemic disease and is increasingly utilized as primary therapy or in combination with other therapies for localized disease. Side effects of therapy are multifold and include hot flashes, osteoporosis, and adverse psychological and metabolic effects. Recent research has illustrated that ADT can negatively impact the functional, cognitive, and physical performance of older men. Patients with prostate cancer, despite recurrence of the disease, have a long life expectancy and may be subjected to the side effects of ADT for many years. This review highlights the complications of ADT and approaches to management. We also provide recommendations for assessment and management of ADT complications among the most vulnerable and frail older male patients.     

老年糖尿病共病抑郁的研究进展

糖尿病是一种慢性疾病,病程长、治疗难度大,易并发多种情绪障碍,特别是抑郁。当糖尿病与抑郁共病时,会使疾病治疗难度增加,致残率升高,特别是对于老年糖尿病患者,共病抑郁的现象非常常见。本文总结了老年糖尿病共病抑郁的现状、潜在机制、临床表现及糖尿病共病抑郁的最佳治疗策略,为老年糖尿病共病抑郁的医疗管理及后续相关研究提供参考。     

The relation between teeth loss and cognitive decline among Saudi population in the city of Riyadh: A pilot study

BackgroundTeeth are necessary for sensory input to the brain during the chewing process, but how the decrease in this sensory input, due to loss of teeth, may cause weak memory and lead to cognitive decline is not well understood. This pilot public survey aiming to assess the correlation between the number of missing teeth, periodontal disease, and cognitive skill in the city of Riyadh.Material& MethodsA multicenter cross-sectional survey, targeting geriatric population aged ≥60 years, was performed in Riyadh City, Saudi Arabia. The Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) was conducted to all participants to assess their cognitive function. Assessment of oral health status was carried out, including the number of present dentation and their periodontal status. Community periodontal-index (CPI) was used to assess the periodontal condition. The primary variables were number of missing teeth, periodontal disease and MoCA test scores. Chi-square test and Pearson’s correlation coefficients were computed and the significant P- value was set at <0.05.ResultsOf 95 participants, overall, 57 (60%) and 38 (40%) were male and female, respectively, with a mean age of 65.67 ± 6.32 years. Females showed more significant cognitive decline than males (P < 0.001). Cognitive decline was significantly high in participants with low educational level 19 (95%), unemployment 41 (79%), and lower income people 26 (79%), while being cognitive intact was significantly higher in highly educated 13 (87%), retired 21 (62%), and higher income people 28 (74%) at (P < 0.001). An advanced age and greater number of missing teeth are associated with lower MoCA test scores. No statistical significant correlation with regard to periodontal disease and MoCA test scores.ConclusionBased on the preliminary data, positive correlation was confirmed when the number of missing teeth and cognitive skill were assessed. Therefore, larger, multi-center regional surveys are needed to investigate further this relationship.