0000000000180603
AUTHOR
Benedetta Boari
Choice and Outcomes of Rate Control versus Rhythm Control in Elderly Patients with Atrial Fibrillation: A Report from the REPOSI Study
Background: Among rate-control or rhythm-control strategies, there is conflicting evidence as to which is the best management approach for non-valvular atrial fibrillation (AF) in elderly patients. Design: We performed an ancillary analysis from the ‘Registro Politerapie SIMI’ study, enrolling elderly inpatients from internal medicine and geriatric wards. Methods: We considered patients enrolled from 2008 to 2014 with an AF diagnosis at admission, treated with a rate-control-only or rhythm-control-only strategy. Results: Among 1114 patients, 241 (21.6%) were managed with observation only and 122 (11%) were managed with both the rate- and rhythm-control approaches. Of the remaining 751 patie…
Hyperglycemia at admission, comorbidities, and in-hospital mortality in elderly patients hospitalized in internal medicine wards: data from the RePoSI Registry
Abstract Aims The association between hyperglycemia at hospital admission and relevant short- and long-term outcomes in elderly population is known. We assessed the effects on mortality of hyperglycemia, disability, and multimorbidity at admission in internal medicine ward in patients aged ≥ 65 years. Methods Data were collected from an active register of 102 internal medicine and geriatric wards in Italy (RePoSi project). Patients were recruited during four index weeks of a year. Socio-demographic data, reason for hospitalization, diagnoses, treatment, severity and comorbidity indexes (Cumulative Illness rating Scale CIRS-SI and CIRS-CI), renal function, functional (Barthel Index), and cog…
What changed in the Italian internal medicine and geriatric wards during the lockdown
A total of 48 internal medicine or geriatric wards among the 93 adhering to the register REPOSI answered an online questionnaire aimed to investigate the characteristics and activities of converted and non-converted wards in the crucial period of the first wave of the epidemic, 22 February-4 May 2020
Frequency of Left Ventricular Hypertrophy in Non-Valvular Atrial Fibrillation
Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) is significantly related to adverse clinical outcomes in patients at high risk of cardiovascular events. In patients with atrial fibrillation (AF), data on LVH, that is, prevalence and determinants, are inconsistent mainly because of different definitions and heterogeneity of study populations. We determined echocardiographic-based LVH prevalence and clinical factors independently associated with its development in a prospective cohort of patients with non-valvular (NV) AF. From the "Atrial Fibrillation Registry for Ankle-brachial Index Prevalence Assessment: Collaborative Italian Study" (ARAPACIS) population, 1,184 patients with NVAF (mean age 72 ± 11 yea…
Hospital Care of Older Patients With COPD: Adherence to International Guidelines for Use of Inhaled Bronchodilators and Corticosteroids
Abstract Objectives We aimed to analyze the prevalence and impact of COPD in older patients hospitalized in internal medicine or geriatric wards, and to investigate adherence to the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) guidelines, associated clinical factors, and outcomes. Design Data were obtained from REgistro POliterapie SIMI (REPOSI), a prospective multicenter observational registry that enrolls inpatients aged ≥65 years. Setting and Participants Older hospitalized patients enrolled from 2008 to 2016 with a diagnosis of COPD. Measures We evaluated adherence to the 2018 GOLD guidelines at admission and discharge, by examining the prescription of inhaled bronchodi…
Sex-Differences in the Pattern of Comorbidities, Functional Independence, and Mortality in Elderly Inpatients: Evidence from the RePoSI Register
Background: The RePoSi study has provided data on comorbidities, polypharmacy, and sex dimorphism in hospitalised elderly patients. Methods: We retrospectively analysed data collected from the 2010, 2012, 2014, and 2016 data sets of the RePoSi register. The aim of this study was to explore the sex-differences and to validate the multivariate model in the entire dataset with an expanded follow-up at 1 year. Results: Among 4714 patients, 51% were women and 49% were men. The disease distribution showed that diabetes, coronary artery disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, chronic kidney disease, and malignancy were more frequent in men but that hypertension, anaemia, osteoarthritis, de…
Pattern of comorbidities and 1-year mortality in elderly patients with COPD hospitalized in internal medicine wards: data from the RePoSI Registry
Currently, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) represents the fourth cause of death worldwide with significant economic burden. Comorbidities increase in number and severity with age and are identified as important determinants that influence the prognosis. In this observational study, we retrospectively analyzed data collected from the RePoSI register. We aimed to investigate comorbidities and outcomes in a cohort of hospitalized elderly patients with the clinical diagnosis of COPD. Socio-demographic, clinical characteristics and laboratory findings were considered. The association between variables and in-hospital, 3-month and 1-year follow-up were analyzed. Among 4696 in-patient…
Drug Prescription and Delirium in Older Inpatients: Results From the Nationwide Multicenter Italian Delirium Day 2015-2016
Objective This study aimed to evaluate the association between polypharmacy and delirium, the association of specific drug categories with delirium, and the differences in drug-delirium association between medical and surgical units and according to dementia diagnosis. Methods Data were collected during 2 waves of Delirium Day, a multicenter delirium prevalence study including patients (aged 65 years or older) admitted to acute and long-term care wards in Italy (2015-2016); in this study, only patients enrolled in acute hospital wards were selected (n = 4,133). Delirium was assessed according to score on the 4 "A's" Test. Prescriptions were classified by main drug categories; polypharmacy w…
Adherence to antithrombotic therapy guidelines improves mortality among elderly patients with atrial fibrillation: insights from the REPOSI study
Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is associated with a substantial risk of thromboembolism and mortality, significantly reduced by oral anticoagulation. Adherence to guidelines may lower the risks for both all cause and cardiovascular (CV) deaths. Methods: Our objective was to evaluate if antithrombotic prophylaxis according to the 2012 European Society of Cardiology (ESC) guidelines is associated to a lower rate of adverse outcomes. Data were obtained from REPOSI; a prospective observational study enrolling inpatients aged ≥65 years. Patients enrolled in 2012 and 2014 discharged with an AF diagnosis were analysed. Results: Among 2535 patients, 558 (22.0 %) were discharged with a diagnos…
Polypharmacy in older people: lessons from 10 years of experience with the REPOSI register
As a consequence of population aging, we have witnessed in internal medicine hospital wards a progressive shift from a population of in-patients relatively young and mainly affected by a single ailment to one of ever older and more and more complex patients with multiple chronic diseases, followed as out-patients by many different specialists with poor integration and inevitably treated with multiple medications. Polypharmacy (defined as the chronic intake of five or more drugs) is associated with increased risks of drug-drug interactions and related adverse effects, prescription and intake errors, poor compliance, re-hospitalization and mortality. With this background, the Italian Society …
Prevalence of use and appropriateness of antidepressants prescription in acutely hospitalized elderly patients.
Depression is often under-recognized in older patients, even if antidepressants (AD) are commonly prescribed, with a prevalence of use that increase with ageing [ 1 ]. Nevertheless, even if a diagnosis of depression is established, inappropriate treatment can occur [ 2 ]. Beers criteria are the most widely screening tools used to detect inappropriate prescription of drugs in people aged 65 years or more [ 3 ]. Since 2010, attempts to adapt the Beers' criteria have been made in Europe [ 4 , 5 ]. Tricyclic drugs are the ADs to be always avoided in the elderly, owing to their anticholinergic side effects, such as cognitive impairment, delirium, urinary retention and falls [ 3 ]. Selective sero…