Feasibility of a cluster-randomized influenza vaccination trial in U.S. nursing homes: Lessons learned.

Influenza severity increases and vaccine effectiveness decreases with age. High-dose influenza vaccine (HD) with quadruple the antigen of standard-dose (SD) vaccine is more efficacious in community-dwelling persons 65 years and older. We evaluated the feasibility of recruiting and randomizing Medicare certified nursing homes (NHs) for a pragmatic cluster-randomized trial comparing HD vs.

A cluster randomized controlled trial comparing relative effectiveness of two licensed influenza vaccines in US nursing homes: Design and rationale.

Background: Influenza, the most important viral infection affecting older adults, produces a substantial burden in health care costs, morbidity, and mortality. Influenza vaccination remains the mainstay in prevention and is associated with reduced rates of hospitalization, stroke, heart attack, and death in non-institutional older adult populations. Influenza vaccination produces considerably lower antibody response in the elderly compared to young adults.

Hypertension treatment and outcomes in US nursing homes: results from the US National Nursing Home Survey.

Objectives: The objective of this study was to describe antihypertensive medication use, determine what effects comorbid illness has on prescribing of commonly used antihypertensive medications, and explore how treatment affected selected clinical and functional outcomes in US nursing home residents.

Design: Cross-sectional observational study using data from the 2004 National Nursing Home Survey, a nationally representative sample of US nursing home residents.

Results: More than one half, 53.