One Symptom (one + symptom)

Distribution by Scientific Domains


Selected Abstracts


Prevalence of neuropsychiatric symptoms in a large sample of Dutch nursing home patients with dementia

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF GERIATRIC PSYCHIATRY, Issue 7 2007
Sytse U. Zuidema
Abstract Objective To estimate the prevalence of neuropsychiatric symptoms of dementia patients in Dutch nursing homes. Methods Cross-sectional study in a large sample of 1322 demented patients living in 59 dementia special care units (SCUs) in The Netherlands. Symptoms were observed by licensed vocational nurses during regular care-giving in a 2-week observational period prior to assessment. Neuropsychiatric symptoms were assessed using the Neuropsychiatric Inventory- Nursing home version (NPI-NH; frequency X severity score , 4) and the Cohen-Mansfield Agitation Inventory (CMAI; symptoms occurring at least once a week). Results More than 80% of these patients suffered from at least one clinically significant symptom, as defined with the NPI-NH frequency X severity score , 4. Measured with the NPH-NH agitation/aggression, apathy and irritability were the most frequently observed behaviors, with prevalences of 30,35%. Using the CMAI, 85% of the patients showed at least one symptom of agitation, of which general restlessness was observed most frequently (44%). Other frequently observed symptoms with prevalence rates of 30% were cursing or verbal aggression, constant request for attention, negativism, repetitious sentences, mannerisms, pacing, and complaining. Physically aggressive symptoms such as hitting, kicking, biting occurred less often (less than 13%). Conclusions Prevalence rates of neuropsychiatric symptoms in Dutch nursing home patients with dementia residing in SCUs are high, especially agitation and apathy. Insight into the prevalence rates of individual symptoms in patients with dementia has important practical consequences for the accurate planning of staff allotment and stresses the need for patient oriented care. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


The persistence of neuropsychiatric symptoms in dementia: the Cache County Study

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF GERIATRIC PSYCHIATRY, Issue 1 2004
Martin Steinberg
Abstract Objective To estimate the 18-month persistence of neuropsychiatric symptoms in dementia in a population-based sample, and to compare the severity of neuropsychiatric symptoms at baseline to the severity at 18-month follow-up. Methods A population-based sample of 329 residents of Cache County, Utah, diagnosed with dementia was rated on the Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI). Of the 204 participants with neuropsychiatric symptoms at baseline (defined as total NPI score >0), NPI data were obtained approximately 18 months later on 117 who were alive and available for follow-up. Results Eighty-one percent of those with neuropsychiatric symptoms at baseline (defined as total NPI score>0) continued to have at least one symptom at follow-up. Sixty-seven percent of participants with a clinically significant total NPI score (defined as ,;4) at baseline continued to have a clinically significant total NPI score at follow-up. Among the ten neuropsychiatric domains assessed at baseline, delusions persisted in 65.5% of individuals, followed by depression (58.3%), and aberrant motor behavior (55.6%), while hallucinations and disinhibition persisted in only 25.0% and 11.1% respectively. In participants who were symptomatic at both baseline and follow-up, the mean severity scores at the two observation points were comparable in all ten neuropsychiatric domains. Conclusions Neuropsychiatric symptoms in dementia overall were highly persistent. Among those in whom symptoms did persist, symptom severity a year and a half later appeared to be comparable. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


Gastrointestinal symptoms in intensive care patients

ACTA ANAESTHESIOLOGICA SCANDINAVICA, Issue 3 2009
A. REINTAM
Background: Gastrointestinal (GI) problems are not uniformly assessed in intensive care unit (ICU) patients and respective data in available literature are insufficient. We aimed to describe the prevalence, risk factors and importance of different GI symptoms. Methods: We prospectively studied all patients hospitalized to the General ICU of Tartu University Hospital in 2004,2007. Results: Of 1374 patients, 62 were excluded due to missing data. Seven hundred and seventy-five (59.1%) patients had at least one GI symptom at least during 1 day of their stay, while 475 (36.2%) suffered from more than one symptom. Absent or abnormal bowel sounds were documented in 542 patients (41.3%), vomiting/regurgitation in 501 (38.2%), high gastric aspirate volume in 298 (22.7%), diarrhoea in 184 (14.0%), bowel distension in 139 (10.6%) and GI bleeding in 97 (7.4%) patients during their ICU stay. Absent or abnormal bowel sounds and GI bleeding were associated with significantly higher mortality. The number of simultaneous GI symptoms was an independent risk factor for ICU mortality. The ICU length of stay and mortality of patients who had two or more GI symptoms simultaneously were significantly higher than in patients with a maximum of one GI symptom. Conclusion:, GI symptoms occur frequently in ICU patients. Absence of bowel sounds and GI bleeding are associated with impaired outcome. Prevalence of GI symptoms at the first day in ICU predicts the mortality of the patients. [source]


Signs and symptoms of temporomandibular disorders in Ecuadorian Indians

JOURNAL OF ORAL REHABILITATION, Issue 4 2004
R. G. Jagger
Summary, The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of signs and symptoms of temporomandibular disorders (TMD) in indigenous South American Indians. A total of 140 consecutive indigenous Indians (69 Quechua and 71 Colorado) attending a mobile dental health caravan in the Santo Domingo region of Ecuador were examined objectively and subjectively for signs and symptoms of TMD using a method similar to that used in previous studies. There was a prevalence of up to 41% of at least one symptom. The Quechua Indians reported a significantly higher prevalence of difficulty in opening of the mouth and pain in front of the ears than the Colorado Indians. There was a prevalence of up to 63% of at least one sign. The objective findings in the Colorado Indians were similar to those found to be present in a Scandinavian population and an Arab population in previous studies using similar methods. Signs and symptoms of TMD are common in Latin American Indians. Differences occur between different populations in the same geographical area. [source]