Abstract
Certain biomedical and psychosocial factors may be important in predicting short-term and long-term outcomes in elderly inpatients in an acute care hospital. We prospectively studied all patients aged 75 years and older who were admitted to an acute inpatient geriatrics unit between June, 1984 and May, 1985, and we followed them for 5 years. Patients were followed by phone and/or the outpatient ambulatory service; follow-up visits occurred at 4 to 6 weeks following discharge and annually thereafter. After 5 years, 21% of the patients were alive. Apparently, age and gender were the major parameters associated with prognosis. Functional status and nutritional state (body weight, serum albumin) were also important prognostic factors. Of the geriatric syndromes, urinary incontinence seemed to be most strongly associated with a poor outcome, followed by falls and confusion. Iatrogenic conditions apparently had no such association. These findings suggest that certain demographic and clinical factors may be useful prognosticators for elderly hospitalized patients. (Aging 3:279–285, 1991)
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Narain P., Rubenstein L.Z., Wieland G.D., Rosbrook B., Strome S., Pietruszka F., Morley J.E.: Predictors of immediate and six month outcomes in hospitalized elderly patients. The importance of functional status. JAGS 36: 775–783, 1988.
Campbell A.J., Diep C., Reinken J., McCosh L.: Factors predicting mortality in a total population sample of the elderly. Age Ageing 9: 220–228, 1980.
Campbell A.J., Reinken J., Allan B.C., Martinez G.S.: Falls in old age: a study of frequency and related clinical factors. Age Ageing 10: 264–278, 1981.
Milne J.S., Lauder I.J.: Factors associated with mortality in older people. Age Ageing 7: 129–137, 1978.
Campbell A.J., Reinken J., McCosh L.: Incontinence in the elderly: Prevalence and prognosis. Age Ageing 14: 65–70, 1985.
Campbell A.J., Borrie M.J., Spears G.F.: Risk factors for falls in a community-based prospective study of people 70 years and older. J. Gerontol. 44: M112–117, 1989.
Campbell A.J., Borrie M.J., Spears G.F., Jackson S.L., Brown J.S., Fitzgerald J.L.: Circumstances and consequences of falls experienced by a community population 70 years and over during a prospective study. Age Ageing 19: 136–141, 1990.
Booth T., Phillips D., Barritt A., Berry S., Martin D.N., Melotte C.: Patterns of mortality in homes for the elderly. Age Ageing 12: 240–244, 1983.
Lamont C.T., Sampson S., Matthias R., Kane R.: The outcome of hospitalization for acute illness in the elderly. JAGS 31: 282–288, 1983.
Wachtel T.J., Fulton J.P., Goldfarb J.: Early prediction of discharge disposition after hospitalization. Gerontologist 27: 98–103, 1987.
Sullivan D.H., Patch GA, Walls R.C., Lipschitz D.A.: Impact of nutrition status on morbidity and mortality in a select population of geriatric rehabilitation patients. Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 51: 749–758, 1990.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Kohn, D., Sinoff, G., Strulov, A. et al. Long-term follow- up of patients aged 75 years and older admitted to an acute care hospital in Israel. Aging Clin Exp Res 3, 279–285 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03324021
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03324021