Geriatric nursing
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A linguistically diverse cohort of 126 medical inpatients 65 y and over was recruited to determine rates of delirium after admission, associated outcomes, and staff detection of delirium. A clinical interview and cognitive and functional questionnaires were completed with the patient and their carer, and files were reviewed. The incidence of delirium at comprehensive assessment early after admission was 10.3% and the overall incidence 19.1% over the whole admission. ⋯ There was no difference in outcomes between English and non-English speaking patients. Given the high prevalence and poor recognition of cognitive disorders in older people, routine cognitive screening should occur. Staff education should focus upon improving delirium detection and addressing the needs of cognitively impaired older inpatients.
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This study aimed to determine the effect of age on febrile response in patients with healthcare-associated bloodstream infection (BSI). ⋯ Age showed no effect on BBT and onset T, but blunted max T in patients with bacteremia. This variability in onset T in all age groups emphasizes the need for early recognition of subtle signs of infection and the need to use an individualized definition of fever.