Repercusión de la hospitalización en la pérdida de capacidad funcional y cognitiva en el anciano

Abstract

The fundamental objective was to discover the influence of the hospital admission in the loss of physical and intellectual abilities in people aged over 65. Therefore, upon completion of our study, we can set out the following conclusions on hospitalising an elderly person: 1- Of the patients included, 71% presented some kind of inability at some point of the study, for any one of the rates. Hospitalisation had a strong link with inability in the population over 65 years of age. 2- Three months following hospital discharge, in comparison with their condition at the time of admission, 12% of the patients showed loss in BADL, 21% loss in IADL and 35% showed mental deterioration. Hospitalisation had greater repercussions on advanced functions in the study sample. 3- The risk factors of suffering physical or mental deterioration from hospital admission with greater statistical significance were: At the time of discharge: - Related to the patient: aged over 78. - Related to hospitalisation: emergency admission and being admitted to a surgical department. Three months after discharge: - Related to the patient: aged over 78, being a widow/er and taking more than three medications prior to admission. - Related to hospitalisation: emergency admission and being institutionalised during these three months. 4- The independent variables that were shown as predictable with statistical significance, in the different types of inability were: For the Katz rate (BADL) at the time of discharge, admission to a surgical department and subsequent institutionalisation is the most solid marker for inability three months following hospitalisation. For the Lawton-Brody rate (IADL) at the time of discharge, emergency admission and three months after hospitalisation being a widow/er is the most significant factor relating to deterioration. For the Mini Mental State Exam at the time of discharge, age and emergency admission were the most important markers for cognitive deterioration, and three months after hospitalisation, added to the above were the factors of the patient taking three or more medications and being institutionalised.