Multimorbidity, consisting of a combination of chronic diseases and geriatric syndromes, predicts the risk of difficulty in discharge home in older patients admitted to acute care hospital.

Aim: To determine whether multimorbidity, consisting of chronic diseases and geriatric syndromes, is associated with home discharge difficulties in older patients.

Methods: A total of 522 older adults (mean age: 85 ± 7 years) who were admitted to an acute care hospital were enrolled. Multimorbidity was assessed by calculating the number of 16 chronic conditions (CCs): 8 chronic diseases (cardiac diseases, diabetes mellitus, chronic kidney disease, respiratory diseases, gastrointestinal diseases, anemia, dementia, and Parkinson disease) and 8 geriatric syndromes (depression, constipation, chronic pain, polypharmacy, dysphagia, underweight, hypoalbuminemia, and functional limitations).

A case of subacute combined degeneration of the spinal cord diagnosed with difficulty due to a history of treatment for pyogenic spondylitis.

Early diagnosis of spinal cord subacute combined degeneration (SCD) is difficult, especially in pre-existing lower extremity impairment cases. We report a case of progressive SCD diagnosed after severe anemia. The peripheral symptoms of SCD other than gait disturbance should also be well understood and given close attention.