[The bacteriological profile of bacteriuria in residents of a long-term geriatric facility].

Background: Little is known on the bacteriological profile of consecutive urine samples in elderly patients institutionalized in nursing homes.

Aim: This retrospective study aims to characterize urinary pathogens, rates of isolation of the same pathogen in subsequent urine samples and predicting factors associated with such repeated isolations. Data were retrospectively retrieved from medical charts of nursing home patients during a four-year period.

Body mass index (BMI), body composition and mortality of nursing home elderly residents.

The body mass index (BMI) is a key marker of nutritional status among older patients, but does not reflect changes in body composition, The aim of the present study was to investigate BMI levels and body composition in a sample of disabled nursing home residents, and to study possible interrelations between BMI, fat-free body mass (FFM), body fat mass (BFM), skeletal muscle mass (SMM) and 1-year mortality rates. FFM and SMM were assessed by 24-h urine creatinine excretion and BFM as the difference between BMI and FFM. We calculated relative risk (RR) and odds ratio (OR) of 1-year mortality, associated with different levels of BMI, FFM index (where index=value/height(2)), SMM index and BFM index in 82 disabled institutionalized elderly patients.

Rehabilitation outcomes in patients with full weight-bearing hip fractures.

Evaluation of the functional outcome for hip fractured elderly patients has been controversial due to a typical casemix containing both weight bearing and non weight bearing postoperative fractures. The purpose of this study was to investigate factors associated with rehabilitation outcomes in patients who are able to fully weight bearing following surgical repair of femoral neck fracture. We studied 217 consecutive patients admitted for rehabilitation after surgery for hip fracture.

Clock drawing task, mini-mental state examination and cognitive-functional independence measure: relation to functional outcome of stroke patients.

The use of reliable and valid brief cognitive screening instrument for selecting the appropriate candidates for stroke rehabilitation is crucial. Clinicians often face the question which test should be preferred, that will best correlate with functional outcome. The objective of this study was to compare the clock drawing task with other cognitive tests used for the evaluation of discharge functional outcome in elderly stroke patients.

A comparative study of Mini-Mental Test, Clock Drawing task and Cognitive-FIM in evaluating functional outcome of elderly hip fracture patients.

Objective: To compare the clock drawing task with other cognitive tests used for the prediction of discharge functional outcome, in elderly hip fracture patients.

Design: Cohort study.

Setting: A department of geriatric-orthopaedic rehabilitation of a tertiary hospital.

Rehabilitation outcome of elderly patients after a first stroke: effect of cognitive status at admission on the functional outcome.

Objective: To assess whether, and to what extent, cognitive outcome relates to overall functional outcome among elderly stroke patients.

Design: Nonconcurrent prospective study.

Setting: Geriatric rehabilitation division at a large, urban, academic, freestanding hospital in Israel.

Mini-Mental State Examination, cognitive FIM instrument, and the Loewenstein Occupational Therapy Cognitive Assessment: relation to functional outcome of stroke patients.

Objectives: To compare 3 cognitive tests, used on admission, for predicting discharge functional outcome and to assess the efficacy of these tests in predicting functional outcome at discharge in stroke patients undergoing rehabilitation.

Design: Cohort study.

Setting: Geriatric rehabilitation department of a tertiary care hospital in Israel.

[Sacral insufficiency fractures and low back pain in elderly women].

Sudden low back pain is common in elderly women. It causes physical and mental stress, and results in deterioration of functional movement and in activities of daily living. Awareness of possible sacral insufficiency fracture is important; they may be demonstrated by imaging modalities, mainly radionuclide bone scan.

[Evaluation of predictive factors for stroke rehabilitation].

Our objective was to assess the functional disability of stroke patients by the functional independence measure (FIM) and to examine predictive factors for successful rehabilitation. In 127 consecutive stroke patients efficacy of FIM was 23.9 +/- 188, efficiency 0.

[Central cord syndrome in the elderly who fall: a diagnostic trap].

Acute post-traumatic spinal injury is common and usually poses no diagnostic difficulties. Following a low-energy fall, the onset of acute central cord syndrome in the elderly is not common and is frequently misdiagnosed. Men aged 60 and 81, and a woman aged 75 are described, in whom central cord syndrome was overlooked.