Effect of influenza vaccination of nursing home staff on mortality of residents: a cluster-randomized trial.

Objectives: To evaluate the effect of staff influenza vaccination on all-cause mortality in nursing home residents.

Design: Pair-matched cluster-randomized trial.

Setting: Forty nursing homes matched for size, staff vaccination coverage during the previous season, and resident disability index.

Interobserver and intraobserver reliability of detecting age-related macular degeneration using a nonmydriatic digital camera.

Purpose: To evaluate the interobserver and intraobserver reliability of detecting early and late age-related macular degeneration (AMD) using a nonmydriatic digital camera in two distinct groups of older people.

Design: Prospective study.

Methods: The two groups consisted of a series of patients older than 70 years hospitalized in a geriatric unit and a younger series of people older than 55 years.

Medical information and surrogate designation: results of a prospective study in elderly hospitalised patients.

Objectives: To determine the preferences of French elderly inpatients concerning medical information and surrogate designation in life-threatening situations.

Methods: Intention-to-act questionnaire was completed by two geriatricians during a patient interview in the week following admission in three geriatric units in France. The participants were elderly patients (> or =70 years) with adequate cognitive performance for decision making as assessed by the Mini Mental State Examination.

Relations between undernutrition and nosocomial infections in elderly patients.

Background: Hospital-acquired infections and malnutrition are of major concern in public health in elderly patients. However, the interactions between these two entities are not well established.

Objectives: To determine the incidence of nosocomial infections (NI) and its association with malnutrition.