Age and ageing
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identification of frailty is recommended in geriatric practice. However, there is a lack of frailty scores combining easy-to-collect predictors from multiple domains. ⋯ nine easy-to-collect predictors may identify aged people at increased risk of adverse health outcomes associated with frailty.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Educating nursing home staff on fracture prevention: a cluster randomised trial.
to assess whether specialist osteoporosis nurses delivering training to care home staff can reduce fractures and improve the prescription of treatments to reduce fractures versus usual care. ⋯ the intervention significantly increased the prescription of bisphosphonates and calcium/vitamin D, but was not associated with a significant effect on the rate of falls or fractures.
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the impact of anaemia on the outcome after a hip fracture surgery is controversial, but anaemia can potentially decrease the physical performance and thereby impede post-operative rehabilitation. We therefore conducted a prospective study to establish whether anaemia affected functional mobility in the early post-operative phase after a hip fracture surgery. ⋯ anaemia impedes functional mobility in the early post-operative phase after a hip fracture surgery and is an independent risk factor for patients not being able to walk post-operatively. The potential for a liberal transfusion policy to improve the rehabilitation potential in hip fracture patients with anaemia should be investigated.
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Case Reports
Kikuchi-Fujimoto disease as a rare cause of fever of unknown origin in a septuagenarian.
We report the case of a 72-year patient presented with fever of unknown origin. Initial clinical and radiological findings suggested a diagnosis of lymphoma. However, subsequent histology revealed Kikuchi-Fujimoto disease (KFD). KFD is predominantly a self-limiting disease of the young, but should be considered in the differential diagnosis of older patients presenting with fever of unknown origin or features suggestive of lymphoma.
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Multicenter Study Historical Article
National audit of continence care for older people: management of urinary incontinence.
the Department of Health report 'Good practice in continence services' highlights the need for proper assessment and management of urinary incontinence. The National Service Framework for Older People required service providers to establish integrated continence services by April 2004. A national audit was conducted to assess the quality of continence care for older people and whether these requirements have been met. ⋯ the results of this audit indicate that the requirement for integrated continence services has not yet been met. Assessment and care by professionals directly looking after the older person were often lacking. There is an urgent need to re-establish the fundamentals of continence care into the practice of medical and nursing staff and action needs to be taken with regard to the establishment of truly integrated, quality services in this neglected area of practice.