Structured decision support to prevent hospitalisations of community-dwelling older adults in Denmark (PATINA): an open-label, stepped-wedge, cluster-randomised controlled trial.

Background: Ageing populations and health-care staff shortages encourage efforts in primary care to recognise and prevent health deterioration and acute hospitalisation in community-dwelling older adults. The PATINA algorithm and decision-support tool alerts home-based-care nurses to older adults at risk of hospitalisation. The study aim was to test whether use of the PATINA tool was associated with changes in health-care use.

Older patients acutely admitted and readmitted to the same geriatric department: a descriptive cohort study of primary diagnoses and health characteristics.

Purpose: Advancing age is associated with increased risk for acute admissions and readmissions. The societal challenges of ageing populations have made the prevention of readmissions come into focus. Readmission may be perceived as the result of inadequate treatment during index admission but may also be caused by the onset of new disease following a generally impaired health of geriatric patients.

Does geriatric follow-up visits reduce hospital readmission among older patients discharged to temporary care at a skilled nursing facility: a before-and-after cohort study.

Introduction: Hospital readmission is a burden to patients, relatives and society. Older patients with frailty are at highest risk of readmission and its negative outcomes.

Objective: We aimed at examining whether follow-up visits by an outgoing multidisciplinary geriatric team (OGT) reduces unplanned hospital readmission in patients discharged to a skilled nursing facility (SNF).

How to measure energy and protein intake in a geriatric department - A comparison of three visual methods.

Background & Aims: Sufficient energy and protein intake are essential to treatment and recovery of hospitalized older adults. The food intake should be assessed in order to detect patients in need of nutritional intervention. The aim of this study was to compare the accuracy of three visual methods for assessing energy and protein intake as compared to weighing food items.

Trends in cancer in the elderly population in Denmark, 1980-2012.

Background: Age is the strongest risk factor for developing cancer. The aim of the present analysis is to give an overview of the trends in cancer incidence, mortality, prevalence, and relative survival in Denmark from 1980 to 2012 focusing on age, comparing persons aged 70 years or more with those aged less than 70 years.

Material And Methods: Data derived from the NORDCAN database with comparable data on cancer incidence, mortality, prevalence and relative survival in the Nordic countries.

Calcaneal quantitative ultrasound and phalangeal radiographic absorptiometry alone or in combination in a triage approach for assessment of osteoporosis: a study of older women with a high prevalence of falls.

Background: The objective of this study was to investigate if application of United Kingdom National Osteoporosis Society (UK-NOS) triage approach, using calcaneal quantitative ultrasound (QUS), phalangeal radiographic absorptiometry (RA), or both methods in combination, for identification of women with osteoporosis, would reduce the percentage of women who need further assessment with Dual Energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DXA) among older women with a high prevalence of falls.

Methods: We assessed 286 women with DXA of hip and spine (Hologic Discovery) of whom 221 were assessed with calcaneal QUS (Achilles Lunar), 245 were assessed with phalangeal RA (Aleris Metriscan), and 202 were assessed with all three methods. Receiver operator characteristics (ROC) curve for QUS, RA, and both methods in combination predicting osteoporosis defined by central DXA were performed.

Choice of osteoporosis guideline has important implications for the treatment decision in elderly women referred to a fall clinic.

Introduction: Different guidelines are used worldwide to make decisions on treating osteoporosis. Some are based on fracture risk calculations, whereas others use criteria based on bone mineral density (BMD) T-scores, risk factors, or fragility fractures. The aim of this study was to explore how osteoporosis treatment decisions in a group of elderly women with falls would be affected if fracture risk-based guidelines were used as compared to guidelines based on BMD T-scores.

[Video recordings can be used for easier and faster evaluations of the performances of postgraduate trainees].

Evaluating post-graduate trainees under direct observation is troublesome, and there are concerns about rater-variability. The aim of this study was to explore if video recordings could be used for evaluation. The performances of five trainees were video recorded.

Central nervous system medications and falls risk in men aged 60-75 years: the Study on Male Osteoporosis and Aging (SOMA).

Introduction: drugs acting on the central nervous system (CNS) increase falls risk. Most data on CNS drugs and falls are in women/mixed-sex populations. This study assessed the relationship between CNS drugs and falls in men aged 60-75 years.

Functional level at admission is a predictor of survival in older patients admitted to an acute geriatric unit.

Background: Functional decline is associated with increased risk of mortality in geriatric patients. Assessment of activities of daily living (ADL) with the Barthel Index (BI) at admission was studied as a predictor of survival in older patients admitted to an acute geriatric unit.

Methods: All first admissions of patients with age >65 years between January 1st 2005 and December 31st 2009 were included.

Auscultatory versus oscillometric measurement of blood pressure in octogenarians.

Background: Auscultatory measurement using a sphygmomanometer has been the predominant method for clinical estimation of blood pressure, but it is now rapidly being replaced by oscillometric measurement.

Objective: To compare blood pressure by auscultatory and oscillometric measurements in patients ≥ 80 years.

Method: 100 patients had blood pressure measured by auscultation with a sphygmomanometer and by an electronic device using the oscillometric method.

[Geriatric home visits can prevent hospitalisation of subacute patients but is time-consuming. A randomised study].

Aim: To study if geriatric home visits could prevent hospital admittance of geriatric patients referred subacute by general practitioners.

Materials And Methods: Patients were randomised to first contact by geriatric home visit (n=59), or to subacute admittance to a geriatric ward (n=43), median age 79.0 and 82.

[Primary visitation of elective referred geriatric patients--a randomised study of home visits compared to day hospital visits].

Aim: To compare the treatment, patient satisfaction, life quality and costs of elective referred patients seen by a geriatric team at home or in a geriatric day hospital.

Materials And Methods: Elective patients were randomised to primary contact by home visit (n=175) or to primary contact in the day hospital (n=176), median age 81 and 83 years, median Barthel - index 85 and 85, MMSE 25 and 25. 61% of elective referrals were randomised.

[Treatment with antidepressants in geriatric departments. Occurrence and record keeping].

Introduction: The aim of the present study was to describe the occurrence of antidepressant treatment in geriatric departments in Denmark and assess the notes of the patient records in connection with prescription.

Material And Methods: Patient records for consecutively referred patients in seven geriatric departments were examined and basic information was noted. For users of antidepressants further information about the treatment was noted.