Very Old Patients (very + old_patient)

Distribution by Scientific Domains


Selected Abstracts


PLASMA BRAIN NATRIURETIC PEPTIDE MEASURED IN STABLE CONDITIONS IS RELATED TO MORTALITY IN FRAIL AND VERY OLD PATIENTS

JOURNAL OF AMERICAN GERIATRICS SOCIETY, Issue 2 2009
Franck Lebourgeois MD
No abstract is available for this article. [source]


Reevaluating the Use of Antihypertensive Medications, a First Step Toward Reducing Polypharmacy in Very Old Patients

JOURNAL OF CLINICAL HYPERTENSION, Issue 8 2010
Vito Campese MD
First page of article [source]


Increasing relevance of acute cerebrovascular disease in very old patients

EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NEUROLOGY, Issue 8 2007
A. Arboix
No abstract is available for this article. [source]


Which parameters differ in very old patients with chronic atrial fibrillation treated by anticoagulant or aspirin?

FUNDAMENTAL & CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY, Issue 5 2008
Antithrombotic treatment of atrial fibrillation in the elderly
Abstract The objective was to determine the main parameters taken into account for the decision of antithrombotic treatment of atrial fibrillation (AF) by vitamin K antagonist or aspirin. This was a prospective clinical study of four clinical services of geriatric medicine. Two hundred and nine inpatients, 84.7 ± 7 years (women 60.8%), with chronic AF were included. The patients were distributed into two groups (anticoagulant or aspirin) according to medical decision. All the decision criteria for treatment were recorded: cardiopathy, conditions of life, clinical examination (nutrition and autonomy, mini-mental state examination (MMSE), walking evaluation, comorbidity), subjective evaluation of risk of falls and glomerular filtration rate. The thromboembolic risk and the bleeding risk, evaluated subjectively for each patient, were compared with two scores of thrombo-embolic risk and bleeding risk. The evolution of the patients was recorded after 3 months. Student's t -test and chi-squared tests were used for statistical analysis. One hundred and two patients (48.8%) received anticoagulant and 107 patients received aspirin. Patients in the aspirin group were significantly older (86.5 ± 6.5 vs. 82.9 ± 7.1 years), with more frequent social isolation, higher systolic blood pressure, and had more important subjective bleeding risk and risk of falls. Patients in the anticoagulant group had significantly more valvulopathies and a more important subjective thromboembolic risk. Thrombo-phlebitis antecedents, dementia, denutrition and walking alterations were only slightly more frequent in patients in the aspirin group. Physicians underestimated thromboembolic risk (one-third of patients) and they overestimated bleeding risk (half of the patients). After 3 months, the two groups did not significantly differ for death, bleeding or ischaemic events. In common practice, the decision of antithrombotic treatment for AF should take into account not only cardiovascular but also geriatric criteria. [source]


Good neurological recovery after cardiopulmonary resuscitation and thrombolysis in two old patients with pulmonary embolism

ACTA ANAESTHESIOLOGICA SCANDINAVICA, Issue 3 2009
F. CAVALLARO
The use of thrombolysis as an emergency treatment for cardiac arrest (CA) due to massive pulmonary embolism (MPE) has been described. However, there are no reports of successful treatment of MPE-associated CA in patients over 77 years of age. We report two cases of successful cardiopulmonary resuscitation for an MPE-associated CA in two very old women (87 and 86 years of age). In both cases, typical signs of MPE were documented using emergency echocardiography, which showed an acute right ventricle enlargement and a paradoxical movement of the interventricular septum. Emergency thrombolysis was administered during resuscitation, which lasted 45 and 21 min, respectively. Despite old age and prolonged resuscitation efforts, both patients had good neurological recovery and one of them was alive and neurologically intact 1 year later. Thrombolysis is a potentially useful therapy in MPE-associated CA. A good neurological outcome can be obtained even in very old patients and after prolonged resuscitation. [source]


Ocular changes, risk markers for eye disorders and effects of cataract surgery in elderly people: a study of an urban Swedish population followed from 70 to 97 years of age

ACTA OPHTHALMOLOGICA, Issue 2 2004
Birgitta Bergman
Abstract. Aims:, To investigate the prevalence of and potential risk factors for ocular disorders and the effects of timing of cataract surgery from age 70,97 years. Population:, A representative population sample taken from within the Gerontological and Geriatric Population Studies (H 70) in Gothenburg, Sweden (n = 958). All subjects underwent eye examinations at age 70 years in 1971 and subsequently at ages 82, 88, 95 and 97 years. All inhabitants of Gothenburg aged 95 and 97 years were invited to participate in the study. Results:, Decreased vision (visual acuity , 0.5) was found in 20% and 80% of subjects at ages 82 and 97 years, respectively. Blood folate and physical activity at age 70 years correlated positively and body mass index (BMI) negatively to visual acuity (VA) , 0.8 at ages 82 and 88 years. Smoking at age 70 years correlated to early age-related maculopathy (ARM). Cataract surgery had been performed in 40% of subjects at age 97 years. Surgery 2 years earlier led to a 15% increase in time spent with improved vision. Conclusions:, The deterioration of vision in elderly people is a major health problem, for which ,low' folate status, smoking, ,high' BMI and low physical activity are potential risk factors. Early cataract surgery is also beneficial in very old patients. [source]