Differences in characteristics and outcomes of older patients hospitalized for COVID-19 after introduction of vaccination.

Purpose: The aim of the present study was to investigate characteristics and outcomes in vaccinated and unvaccinated older patients hospitalized for COVID-19 infection.

Methods: A retrospective multicentre cohort study among patients aged ≥70 years hospitalized for COVID-19 infection.

Results: 263 vaccinated and 82 unvaccinated patients were included.

Preparing for future pandemics: frailty associates with mortality in hospitalised older people during the entire COVID-19 pandemic, a Dutch multicentre cohort study.

Purpose: Viral mutations and improved prevention or treatment options may have changed the association of frailty with mortality throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. We investigated how associations of frailty with in-hospital mortality changed throughout the pandemic in older people hospitalised for COVID-19.

Methods: The COVID-OLD study included COVID-19 patients aged ≥ 70 years hospitalised during the first (early 2020), second (late 2020), third (late 2021) or fourth wave (early 2022).

[Not Available].

Richtlijnen adviseren het voorschrijven van een maagbeschermer naast een NSAID of salicylaat in geval van risicofactoren voor gastro-intestinale complicaties (GIC). In het Catharina Ziekenhuis Eindhoven maakt men gebruik van een geautomatiseerd medicatiebewakingssysteem ofwel "computerized clinical decision support system" (CCDSS) Dit systeem alarmeert wanneer een maagbeschermer ontbreekt bij klinische patiënten, die hiervoor wel een indicatie hebben. In deze studie analyseerden we welke risicofactoren voor GIC het vaakst voorkwamen in de door de CCDSS gegenereerde meldingen bij patiënten van 60 jaar en ouder die in 2019 opgenomen waren en welk deel van deze meldingen leidde tot toevoeging of dosisaanpassing van een maagbeschermer.

An evaluation of postoperative outcomes and treatment changes after frailty screening and geriatric assessment and management in a cohort of older patients with colorectal cancer.

Introduction: Adequate patient selection is crucial within the treatment of older patients with colorectal cancer (CRC). While previous studies report increased morbidity and mortality in older patients screened positive for frailty, improvements in the perioperative care and postoperative outcomes have raised the question of whether older patients screened positive for frailty still face worse outcomes. This study aimed to investigate the postoperative outcomes of older patients with CRC screened positive for frailty, and to evaluate changes in treatment after frailty screening and geriatric assessment.

Atypical presentation of COVID-19 in older patients is associated with frailty but not with adverse outcomes.

Purpose: Older patients with COVID-19 can present with atypical complaints, such as falls or delirium. In other diseases, such an atypical presentation is associated with worse clinical outcomes. However, it is not known whether this extends to COVID-19.

[The use of telemedicine with frail elderly patients in the Netherlands - experience of caregivers in an outpatient setting].

The use of telemedicine (telephone and video consultations) has increased over the past decades and has grown substantially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Multimorbidity, visual - and hearing impairment, cognitive impairment and lack of technical skills might complicate the use of telemedicine in frail elderly patients. Limited research on this topic is has been performed.

Shared decision-making in advance care planning among hospitalized older COVID-19 patients: a multicenter, retrospective cohort study.

Background: In the Netherlands, it is customary to discuss directives regarding resuscitation, intubation, and ICU-admission with patients and/or their relatives upon hospital-admission. The outcome of this discussion is documented in a code status. Ideally, these advance care planning (ACP)-related decisions are made by a patient (and/or their relatives) and a professional together in a shared decision-making (SDM) process, to improve patient satisfaction and prevent undesired care.

Delirium in older COVID-19 patients: Evaluating risk factors and outcomes.

Objectives: A high incidence of delirium has been reported in older patients with Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). We aimed to identify determinants of delirium, including the Clinical Frailty Scale, in hospitalized older patients with COVID-19. Furthermore, we aimed to study the association of delirium independent of frailty with in-hospital outcomes in older COVID-19 patients.

Lessons Learned From the COVID-19 Pandemic as Experienced by Older Adults Treated for COVID-19.

Background: In order to provide the best care, the perspective of older COVID-19 patients must be involved in the development of treatment protocols. This study describes the experiences of older adults affected by COVID-19 who recovered in the hospital or at home.

Methods: Qualitative semi-structured interviews were conducted with 23 older adults affected by COVID-19.

Characteristics and outcomes of older patients hospitalised for COVID-19 in the first and second wave of the pandemic in The Netherlands: the COVID-OLD study.

Background: as the coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic progressed diagnostics and treatment changed.

Objective: to investigate differences in characteristics, disease presentation and outcomes of older hospitalised COVID-19 patients between the first and second pandemic wave in The Netherlands.

Methods: this was a multicentre retrospective cohort study in 16 hospitals in The Netherlands including patients aged ≥ 70 years, hospitalised for COVID-19 in Spring 2020 (first wave) and Autumn 2020 (second wave).

Identifying adverse drug reactions from free-text electronic hospital health record notes.

Background: Adverse drug reactions (ADRs) are estimated to be the fifth cause of hospital death. Up to 50% are potentially preventable and a significant number are recurrent (reADRs). Clinical decision support systems have been used to prevent reADRs using structured reporting concerning the patient's ADR experience, which in current clinical practice is poorly performed.

Frailty is associated with in-hospital mortality in older hospitalised COVID-19 patients in the Netherlands: the COVID-OLD study.

Background: During the first wave of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, older patients had an increased risk of hospitalisation and death. Reports on the association of frailty with poor outcome have been conflicting.

Objective: The aim of the present study was to investigate the independent association between frailty and in-hospital mortality in older hospitalised COVID-19 patients in the Netherlands.

Dabigatran trough concentrations in very elderly patients.

Objectives: The aim of this observational study was to explore dabigatran concentrations in elderly and very elderly patients in a real-life population. Patients aged >75 years receiving dabigatran have a significantly higher risk of gastrointestinal bleeding compared withthose receiving warfarin. High trough concentrations have an important impact on this bleeding risk.

[Medication reconciliation: a hell of a job].

Transitions of care pose a risk to medication safety. To reduce patient harm, medication reconciliation is advised. However, implementation of medication reconciliation is difficult due to time constraints.

Psychotropic Drug Prescription and the Risk of Falls in Nursing Home Residents.

Background: Falling is a common and serious problem in the elderly. Previous studies suggest that the use of psychotropic drugs increases the risk of falling. However, the contribution of these drugs on fall risk has not been quantified on a daily basis among the general population of nursing homes until now.

Systems that prevent unwanted represcription of drugs withdrawn because of adverse drug events: a systematic review.

Represcription of medication that was withdrawn after the occurrence of an adverse drug event (including allergy), is a recognized medication safety issue on a patient level. We performed a systematic review to identify systems (electronic and nonelectronic) that can prevent the represcription of drugs withdrawn because of an adverse drug event and the effects of these systems. The review was performed using PRISMA and Cochrane guidelines.

[Falling due to vitamin B12 deficiency].

Background: Ataxia due to a vitamin B12 deficiency can be a cause of falls in elderly patients.

Case Description: An 86-year-old woman presented with functional decline and gait problems. She had been falling regularly.

An electronic system to document reasons for medication discontinuation and to flag unwanted represcriptions in geriatric patients.

Background: Earlier studies have shown poor documentation of the reasons for medication discontinuation during hospitalization. Communication of reasons for discontinuation, e.g.

Recurrence of adverse drug reactions following inappropriate re-prescription: better documentation, availability of information and monitoring are needed.

Adverse drug reactions (ADRs) are a common, and often preventable, cause of hospital admission, especially in the elderly, and can occur during hospitalization. In this current opinion article, we present three cases of recurrence of a serious ADR due to re-prescription of a withdrawn medication that highlight the need for a system to prevent the undesirable re-prescription of medications withdrawn because of an ADR. In addition, we describe an electronic system that could help prevent undesirable re-prescription following an ADR.

Syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion (SIADH) or hyponatraemia associated with valproic Acid: four case reports from the Netherlands and a case/non-case analysis of vigibase.

The Netherlands Pharmacovigilance Centre Lareb received four cases of severe symptomatic hyponatraemia or syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion (SIADH) in association with valproic acid use, in which a causal relationship was suspected. This study describes these cases and gives support for this association from Vigibase, the adverse drug reaction (ADR) database of the WHO Collaborating Centre for International Drug Monitoring, the Uppsala Monitoring Centre. Cases of hyponatraemia in valproic acid users are described.

Prescribing optimization method for improving prescribing in elderly patients receiving polypharmacy: results of application to case histories by general practitioners.

Background: Optimizing polypharmacy is often difficult, and critical appraisal of medication use often leads to one or more changes. We developed the Prescribing Optimization Method (POM) to assist physicians, especially general practitioners (GPs), in their attempts to optimize polypharmacy in elderly patients. The POM is based on six questions: (i) is undertreatment present and addition of medication indicated; (ii) does the patient adhere to his/her medication schedule; (iii) which drug(s) can be withdrawn or which drugs(s) is/are inappropriate for the patient; (iv) which adverse effects are present; (v) which clinically relevant interactions are to be expected; and (vi) should the dose, dose frequency and/or form of the drug be adjusted?

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of the POM as a tool for improving appropriate prescribing of complex polypharmacy in the elderly.