Journal of the American Medical Directors Association
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Body wasting in the context of chronic illness is associated with reduced quality of life and impaired survival. Recent clinical trials have investigated different approaches to improve patients' skeletal muscle mass and strength, exercise capacity, and survival in the context of cachexia and body wasting, many of them in patients with cancer. The aim of this article was to summarize clinical trials published over the past 2 years. Therapeutic approaches discussed include appetite stimulants, such as megestrol acetate, L-carnitine, or melatonin, anti-inflammatory drugs, such as thalidomide, pentoxyphylline, or a monoclonal antibody against interleukin-1α as well as ghrelin and the ghrelin agonist anamorelin; nutritional support, and anabolics, such as enobosarm and testosterone.
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To examine the independent associations between atrial fibrillation (AF) and objectively measured mobility in a nationally representative cohort. ⋯ AF is independently associated with lower usual gait speed in community-dwelling adults and this effect is magnified in those aged 70 and older. This may place them at increased risk of falls, hospitalization, cognitive decline, and mortality, as well as stroke and heart failure. Early recognition and treatment of AF is vital to improve physical function and reduce this risk.
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Multicenter Study
Hospice family members' perceptions of and experiences with end-of-life care in the nursing home.
Even though more than 25% of Americans die in nursing homes, end-of-life care has consistently been found to be less than adequate in this setting. Even for those residents on hospice, end-of-life care has been found to be problematic. This study had 2 research questions; (1) How do family members of hospice nursing home residents differ in their anxiety, depression, quality of life, social networks, perceptions of pain medication, and health compared with family members of community dwelling hospice patients? (2) What are family members' perceptions of and experiences with end-of-life care in the nursing home setting? ⋯ These interviews identify a multitude of barriers to quality end-of-life care in the nursing home setting, and demonstrate that support for family members is an essential part of quality end-of-life care for residents. This study suggests that nursing homes should embrace the opportunity to demonstrate the value of family participation in the care-planning process.
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To describe Chinese nursing home residents' knowledge of advance directive (AD) and end-of-life care preferences and to explore the predictors of their preference for AD. ⋯ Most nursing home residents did not know about AD, and nearly one-third showed positive attitudes toward it. AD should be promoted in mainland China. Education of residents, the proxy decision maker, and nursing home staff on AD is very important. Necessary policy support, legislation, or practice guidelines about AD should be made with flexibility to respect nursing home residents' rights in mainland China.
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Although acute kidney injury (AKI) is well studied in the acute care setting, investigation of AKI in the nursing home (NH) setting is virtually nonexistent. The goal of this study was to determine the incidence of drug-associated AKI using the RIFLE (Risk, Injury, Failure, Loss of kidney function, or End-Stage kidney disease) criteria in NH residents. ⋯ Drug-associated AKI was a common cause of potential adverse drug events. The vast majority of cases were related to the use of diuretics, ACEIs/ARBs, and antibiotics. Future studies are needed to better understand patient, provider, and facility risk factors, as well as strategies to enhance the detection and management of drug-associated AKI in the NH.