Characteristics of febrile urinary tract infections in older male adults.

Background: Urinary tract infections (UTI) are among the most frequent bacterial infections in older adults. The aim of the study was to analyse the existence of differences in clinical features, microbiological data and risk of infection by multidrug-resistant organisms (MDRO) between older and non-older men with febrile UTI (FUTI).

Methods: This was an ambispective observational study involving older males with a FUTI attended in the Emergency Department.

Dying in hospital of terminal heart failure or severe dementia: the circumstances associated with death and the opinions of caregivers.

Background: Improving the care provided to elderly patients affected by end-stage chronic diseases dying in acute hospitals is a health priority. We evaluated the circumstances related to death in end-stage non-cancer patients dying in two acute care hospitals, and their caregiver's opinions about the death.

Methods: Some 102 patients, over 64 years of age, with end-stage dementia (37%) or congestive heart failure (64%), were included in the study.