A comparison of changes in drug burden index between older inpatients who fell and people who have not fallen: A case-control study.

Objective: Older inpatients who fall are often frail, with multiple co-morbidities and polypharmacy. Although the causes of falls are multifactorial, sedating and delirium-inducing drugs increase that risk. The aims were to determine whether people who fell had a change in their sedative and anticholinergic medication burden during an admission compared to people who did not fall.

A broken neck: outcomes from conservative management of C2 fractures in older adults.

Aim: To describe the management, complications and functional outcomes of older patients who sustain fractures of the second cervical vertebra (C2).

Methods: Retrospective review of consecutive patients aged 65 years and older. All patients admitted with the clinical discharge code of S12.

Anticoagulant-related intracranial haemorrhage: time to anticoagulant reversal improving but still slower than thrombolysis for ischaemic stroke.

Aims: This study aims to determine whether door-to-needle times (DNT) for reversal of anticoagulant-associated intracerebral haemorrhage (ICH) (1) have improved over time, (2) differ between warfarin and dabigatran and (3) are comparable to ischaemic stroke (IS) thrombolysis DNT, and (4) whether reversal is monitored.

Methods: Retrospective review of all warfarin- and dabigatran-associated ICH presenting to Christchurch Hospital over a 15-year period. DNT data from 2013-2018 were compared between warfarin-related ICH (WRICH), dabigatran-related ICH (DRICH) and IS thrombolysis.

Polypharmacy in Palliative Care: Two Deprescribing Tools Compared with a Clinical Review.

Lack of guidance is highlighted as a barrier to deprescribing in palliative care. Two deprescribing tools exist, but with inclusion and exclusion criteria that limit utility. The tools have not previously been compared directly or used in an unselected palliative population.

Low-impact (compliant) flooring and staff injuries.

Introduction: Low impact flooring (LIF) has shown potential for reducing fall-related injuries for older people in residential care or hospital environments. However, the increased rolling resistance when moving equipment on these floors has raised concerns that staff injuries may increase.

Methods: LIF was trialled on one Older Persons Health ward for 2.