Prognostic Role of NECPAL CCOMS-ICO Tool on One-Year Mortality in a Hospitalized Older Population.

It is essential to establish both the appropriateness of palliative care (PC) and the prognosis in daily clinical practice to guide decision making in the management of older people with multiple advanced chronic diseases. We assessed patients who were appropriate for PC using the NECPAL tool in a hospitalized older population and then we investigated its predictive validity on one-year mortality compared with the multidimensional prognostic index (MPI), a validated geriatric prognostic tool. Prospective cohort study.

The 4-DSD: A New Tool to Assess Delirium Superimposed on Moderate to Severe Dementia.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to create, standardize, and validate a new instrument, named 4-DSD, and determine its diagnostic accuracy in the diagnosis of delirium in subjects with moderate to severe dementia.

Design: Multicenter cross-sectional observational study.

Setting And Participants: Older patients consecutively admitted to acute and rehabilitation hospital wards.

A Point Prevalence Study of Delirium in Italian Nursing Homes.

Background: Delirium is a common geriatric syndrome. Few studies have been conducted in nursing home (NH) residents. The aim of this project was to perform a point prevalence study of delirium in Italian NHs.

Pattern of use and presenting complaints of older patients visiting an Emergency Department in Italy.

Background And Aims: The number of older persons admitted to the Emergency Department (ED) is dramatically increasing due to their complex medical and social problems, which in turn lead to longer clinical evaluation times and increased use of resources compared to younger adults. However, scant data are available for Italian EDs. Similarly, no data are available about the reasons to ED visit and its role in determining the ED utilization pattern.

Risk stratification of older patients in the emergency department: comparison between the Identification of Seniors at Risk and Triage Risk Screening Tool.

Background And Objectives: The increasing number of elderly patients accessing emergency departments (ED) requires use of validated, rapid assessment instruments. The aim of this study was to compare the Identification of Seniors at Risk (ISAR) and Triage Risk Screening Tool (TRST), based on direct patient evaluation.

Research Design And Subjects: This study was a prospective observational study with 6 months follow-up.

Prognostic stratification of elderly patients in the emergency department: a comparison between the "Identification of Seniors at Risk" and the "Silver Code".

Background: The increasing number of elderly patients accessing emergency departments (EDs) requires use of validated assessment tools. We compared the Identification of Seniors at Risk (ISAR), using direct patient evaluation, with the Silver Code (SC), based on administrative data.

Methods: Subjects aged 75+ years accessing a geriatric ED over an 8-month period were enrolled.

Predictive validity of the Identification of Seniors At Risk (ISAR) screening tool in elderly patients presenting to two Italian Emergency Departments.

Background And Aims: Elderly patients presenting to Emergency Departments (ED) have complex health problems and often undergo adverse outcomes after an ED visit. In Canadian ED, the Identification of Seniors At Risk (ISAR) is useful in screening for these aspects. This study evaluated the predictive validity of ISAR for elderly patients presenting to Italian ED.

A geriatric emergency service for acutely ill elderly patients: pattern of use and comparison with a conventional emergency department in Italy.

The current disease-oriented, episodic model of emergency care does not adequately address the complex needs of older adults presenting to emergency departments (EDs). Dedicated ED facilities with a specific organization (e.g.

Mini Nutritional Assessment (short form) and functional decline in older patients admitted to an acute medical ward.

Background And Aims: Protein and/or energy malnutrition is common in hospitalized older patients and is associated with poor outcomes. Among recommended nutritional screening tools, contrasting data exist about the usefulness of the Mini Nutritional Assessment Short-Form (MNA-SF). We evaluated whether the MNA-SF, alone or integrated with serum albumin levels, is a reliable predictor of functional decline in older patients.

A manual of guidelines to score the modified cumulative illness rating scale and its validation in acute hospitalized elderly patients.

Objectives: To update previous guidelines to score the Cumulative Illness Rating Scale (CIRS) and test their usefulness in hospitalized elderly patients.

Design: The CIRS was scored retrospectively in a cohort of elderly patients followed for 18 months.

Setting: An acute internal medicine ward in an academic tertiary care hospital.

Prevention of cardiovascular events in early menopause: a possible role for hormone replacement therapy.

Heart disease is a major cause of illness and death in women. It is well known that there is an increase in cardiovascular disease and cardiovascular risk factors after the menopause, but it is still unclear whether the change in risk factors after the menopause is only related to the aging process or is principally due to estrogen deprivation. Observational studies suggest a protective role for estrogens, whereas recent randomized controlled trials report a negative effect of oral estrogens on primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular events.