Muscle mass loss measured with portable ultrasound in hospitalized older adults: The ECOSARC study.

Objectives: The main objective was to analyze the evolution of muscle of the Quadriceps Rectus Femoris (QRF) between admission and discharge, in older adults hospitalized with an acute medical disease in Acute Geriatric Units (AGUs).

Design: Prospective multicentric observational cohort study.

Setting: Seven AGUs from University Hospitals in Spain.

"SARCOPENIA MEASURED BY ULTRASOUND IN HOSPITALIZED OLDER ADULTS" (ECOSARC): multi-centre, prospective observational study protocol.

Background: Measurement of muscle mass and function, and thereafter, screening and diagnosis of sarcopenia, is a challenge and a need in hospitalized older adults. However, it is difficult in complex real-world old patients, because usually they are unable to collaborate with clinical, functional, and imaging testing. Ultrasound measurement of quadriceps rectus femoris (QRF) provides a non-invasive, real-time assessment of muscle quantity and quality, and is highly acceptable to participants with excellent inter-rater and intra-rater variability.

[Intravenous iron, functional recovery and delirium in patients with hip fracture. FEDEREF study. Single-centre randomised, placebo-controlled, and double-blind clinical trial. 2014-001923-53: EudraCT number].

Introduction: There are no previous studies evaluating the effect of intravenous iron therapy on functional and cognitive status of patients with hip fracture (HF).

Material And Methods: A single-centre randomised, placebo-controlled, double-blind and parallel treatment, clinical trial has been designed to assess the efficacy of intravenous iron therapy during the peri-operative period in elderly patients suffering from a HF. Blinding will be ensured by the packaging of the drug infusion system.

[Opening of an Acute Orthogeriatric Unit in a general hospital].

Background: Patients with hip fracture (HF), due to their characteristics, require a specific support. The Acute Orthogeriatric Unit (OGU) has been shown to be one of the most beneficial.

Objective: To evaluate the main variables of HF patients treated at an OGU and compare them with the previous referral model (RC).