Analysis of the Correspondence of the Degree of Fragility with the Way to Exercise the Force of the Hand.

Background: Frailty is a geriatric syndrome characterized by increased individual vulnerability with an increase in both dependence and mortality when exposed to external stressors. The use of Frailty Indices in routine clinical practice is limited by several factors, such as the cognitive status of the patient, times of consultation, or lack of prior information from the patient.

Objectives: In this study, we propose the generation of an objective measure of frailty, based on the signal from hand grip strength (HGS).

The Influence of Wet Granulation Parameters on the Compaction Behavior and Tablet Strength of a Hydralazine Powder Mixture.

The aim of this paper was to describe the influence of high-shear wet granulation process parameters on tablet tensile strength and compaction behavior of a powder mixture and granules containing hydralazine. The hydralazine powder mixture and eight types of granules were compacted into tablets and evaluated using the Heckel, Kawakita and Adams analyses. The granules were created using two types of granulation liquid (distilled water and aqueous solution of polyvinylpyrrolidone), at different impeller speeds (500 and 700 rpm) and with different wet massing times (without wet massing and for 2 min).

Mortality in Elderly Patients Taking Furosemide: Prospective Cohorts Study.

Objectives: Low blood pressure (BP) has been proposed as a risk factor of death in elderly patients. However, this association could be partially accounted for by the deleterious effects of BP-lowering drugs. We analyzed whether these drugs are associated to an increased risk of death in elderly patients taking multiple potential confounders into account.

Chitosan and Sodium Alginate Implementation as Pharmaceutical Excipients in Multiple-Unit Particulate Systems.

This study aimed to prepare and evaluate pellets containing acyclovir as a model drug. Pellets were prepared by the extrusion-spheronization process. Aqueous solutions of natural marine polymers (sodium alginate, chitosan) were compared to semi-synthetic hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) in the role of binders.

Systematic Study of the Effects of High Shear Granulation Parameters on Process Yield, Granule Size, and Shape by Dynamic Image Analysis.

The aim of the work was to analyze the influence of process parameters of high shear granulation on the process yield and on the morphology of granules on the basis of dynamic image analysis. The amount of added granulation liquid had a significant effect on all monitored granulometric parameters and caused significant changes in the yield of the process. In regard of the shape, the most spherical granules with the smoothest surface were formed at a liquid to solid ratio of ≈1.

Study of rheological and tableting properties of lubricated mixtures of co-processed dry binders for orally disintegrating tablets.

Co-processed dry binders for ODTs are important multifunctional excipients for tablet manufacturing by direct compression. Testing their binary mixtures with lubricants is an important aspect of their use in combination with drugs. The aim of this study was to evaluate the rheological and compression properties of lubricated mixtures of co-processed dry binders Parteck® ODT, Prosolv® ODT G2 and Ludiflash®, and subsequently also the compactability and disintegration time of the tablets made thereof.

Systematic study of paracetamol powder mixtures and granules tabletability: Key role of rheological properties and dynamic image analysis.

The aim of this systematic study was to analyze the granulometric and rheological behavior of tableting mixtures in relation to tabletability by single tablet and lab-scale batch compression with an eccentric tablet machine. Three mixtures containing 33, 50, and 66% of the cohesive drug paracetamol were prepared. The high compressibility of the powder mixtures caused problems with overcompaction or lamination in the single tablet compression method; due to jamming of the material during the filling of the die, the lab-scale batch compression was impossible.

Matched cohort study on the efficacy of tocilizumab in patients with COVID-19.

Background: Tocilizumab has been proposed as a treatment for the new disease COVID-19, however, there is not enough scientific evidence to support this treatment. The objective of this study is to analyze whether the use of tocilizumab is associated with respiratory improvement and a shorter time to discharge in patients with COVID-19 and lung involvement.

Methods: Observational study on a cohort of 418 patients, admitted to three county hospitals in Catalonia (Spain).

Association between COVID-19 prognosis and disease presentation, comorbidities and chronic treatment of hospitalized patients.

Importance: The rapid pandemic expansion of the disease caused by the new SARS-CoV-2 virus has compromised health systems worldwide. Knowledge of prognostic factors in affected patients can help optimize care.

Objective: The objective of this study was to analyze the relationship between the prognosis of COVID-19 and the form of presentation of the disease, the previous pathologies of patients and their chronic treatments.

Observational study of azithromycin in hospitalized patients with COVID-19.

Background: The rapid spread of the disease caused by the novel SARS-CoV-2 virus has led to the use of multiple therapeutic agents whose efficacy has not been previously demonstrated. The objective of this study was to analyze whether there is an association between the use of azithromycin and the evolution of the pulmonary disease or the time to discharge, in patients hospitalized with COVID-19.

Methods: This was an observational study on a cohort of 418 patients admitted to three regional hospitals in Catalonia, Spain.

Pain and recurrent falls in the older and oldest-old non-institutionalized population.

Background: Recurrent falls represent a priority in geriatric research. In this study we evaluated the influence of pain as a risk factor for recurrent falls (two or more in 1 year) in the older (65-79 years) and oldest-old (80 or more years) non-institutionalized population.

Methods: Prospective cohort study.

The spatial parameters of gait and their association with falls, functional decline and death in older adults: a prospective study.

Association between spatial gait parameters and adverse health outcomes in the elderly has not been sufficiently studied. The goal of this study is to evaluate whether the stride length or the step width predict falls, functional loss and mortality. We conducted a prospective cohort study on a probabilistic sample of 431 noninstitutionalized, older-than-64-years subjects living in Spain, who were followed-up for five years.

Prevalence and treatment of pain in non-institutionalized very old population: transversal study at national level.

Background: In Europe, there is no conclusive data at national level about pain prevalence in non-institutionalized very old population. In USA, it has recently been reported a high prevalence (56 %); however, this data can not be extrapolated to other regions because the known influence of geographical and ethnic differences. Furthermore there are few data on use of treatments for pain in this population.

Association with and predictive capacity of self-perceived risk of falling in recurrent falls in older people: a prospective study.

Objective: Given the impact of recurrent falls in older people, risk evaluation for falling is an important part of geriatric assessment. Available clinical tools usually do not include patients' self-perceived risk of falling. The objective of this study was to evaluate association with and predictive capacity of self-perceived risk of falling in recurrent falls.