Frequently asked questions about mobility devices among older adults.

Purpose: To assess frequently asked questions (FAQs) about mobility devices among older adults.

Materials And Methods: We searched multiple terms on Google to find FAQs. Rothwell's classification, JAMA benchmark criteria, and Brief DISCERN were used to categorize and assess each entry.

Frequency and Predictors of Polypharmacy in US Medicare Patients: A Cross-Sectional Analysis at the Patient and Physician Levels.

Background: Polypharmacy in older patients increases the risk of medication-related adverse events and can be a marker of unnecessary care.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to describe the frequency of polypharmacy among patients 65 years of age or older and identify factors associated with the occurrence of patient-level and physician-level polypharmacy.

Methods: We performed a cross-sectional analysis of 100% Medicare claims data from January 1, 2016 to December 31, 2016.

A Qualitative Pilot Study of the Perceptions in Older Adults with End-Stage Kidney Disease on Hemodialysis.

Background: Little is known about the perceptions of older adults with end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) on chronic hemodialysis (HD) even though this could potentially influence how treatment is received. This study explores the perceptions of older adults with ESKD on HD, specifically their decision to initiate HD, preconceptions and expectations of HD, perceived difficulties with HD, and coping strategies.

Design: Cross-sectional.

Quality of Life, Perceptions, and Health Satisfaction of Older Adults with End-Stage Renal Disease: A Systematic Review.

Objectives: To explore the quality of life (QOL), perceptions, and health satisfaction of older adults with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) undergoing renal replacement therapy (RRT).

Design: Systematic review of literature.

Participants: Individuals with ESRD undergoing RRT aged 65 and older.

Delirium, a Symptom of UTI in the Elderly: Fact or Fable? A Systematic Review.

Background: In geriatrics, delirium is widely viewed as a consequence of and, therefore, a reason to initiate workup for urinary tract infection (UTI). There is a possibility that this association is overestimated. To determine the evidence behind this clinical practice, we undertook a systematic review of the literature linking delirium with UTI.

Association of depression and antidepressant use with mortality in a large cohort of patients with nondialysis-dependent CKD.

Background And Objectives: Depression is common and is associated with higher mortality in patients with ESRD or CKD (stage 5). Less information is available on earlier stages of CKD. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of depression and any association with all-cause mortality in patients with varying severity of nondialysis-dependent CKD.

Screening for depression in elderly hemodialysis patients.

Background: Depression is common and associated with increased morbidity and mortality in elderly (≥65 years) hemodialysis patients. Beck's Depression Inventory (BDI) and the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) have been used in different cohorts to screen for depression.

Objectives: We aimed to evaluate the 15-item GDS (GDS-15) as such a tool in elderly hemodialysis patients and compare it with BDI, a previously validated tool in younger hemodialysis patients.

Tongue discoloration in an elderly kidney transplant recipient: Treatment-related adverse event?

Background: With the increased occurrence of methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus infections, linezolid treatment might be administered more often. New rare adverse events are likely to follow.

Case Summary: A 65-year-old man (weight, 91 kg; height, 185 cm) presented to the emergency department at the University of Virginia-affiliated Salem Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Salem, Virginia, after a recent (8 weeks) kidney transplantation with a 24-hour history of fatigue, chills, arthralgias, increased urinary frequency, and onset of tongue discoloration.

The primary care physician's role in nursing facility care.

As more care is shifted from the acute care hospital and other sites to nursing facilities, and as the complexity of nursing facility care increases, more is expected of attending physicians. Physicians play an important role in helping patients and their families in this setting and in working with the facility staff in caring for these patients. Structuring visits to address patient and family needs and staff concerns; reviewing resident assessment instruments, care plans, and orders for care; and carefully documenting and coding those visits in such a way as to represent the purpose and complexity of the visit and the patient's clinical circumstances not only helps to improve the overall care provided to the patient but also helps others such as payors and regulators who are concerned about quality of care to have a better understanding of the patient's situation and future plans and expectations.