According to cross-sectional studies, there is an association between anosognosia in people with dementia and caregiver's burden and depression. Anosognosia in patients may be a cause of caregiver ...burden and depression. However, variability in caregiver anosognosia ratings may exist as caregivers with burden and depression may have a more pessimistic view of the patients' health.
To assess the variability of caregiver anosognosia ratings of patients with dementia using a widely used anosognosia scale and its longitudinal relationship with caregiver burden and depression.
A convenience cohort of 221 consecutive dementia outpatient and caregiver dyads was followed up at 12 and 24 months. The main instruments used were the Anosognosia Questionnaire-Dementia (AQ-D), Caregiver Burden Interview, and Geriatric Depression Scale. Linear mixed models were used including time as a factor in every model. Multivariate analyses controlled for caregiver's socio-demographic and possible confounding factors.
Attrition at 12 and 24 months was 24.9% and 42.5% respectively. Patients at baseline were on average 77.8 years of age, 63.3% were women, and 63.3% had < 5 years of education. In the bivariate analyses, caregiver burden, depression, and gender were associated with caregiver ratings of total, cognitive, and personality AQ-D of the patient at different time points. Multivariate analyses revealed burden as the caregiver variable most consistently associated with total, cognitive, and personality caregiver AQ-D ratings of the patient.
Some caregiver characteristics, especially burden, are associated with caregiver ratings of AQ-D with regard to the patient.
Anosognosia in Alzheimer's disease (AD) has been associated with greater cognitive impairment and more behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD). This study examines the incidence, ...persistence, and remission rates of anosognosia over a 12-month period, as well as the related risk factors. This was an observational 12-month prospective study. The longitudinal sample comprised 177 patients with mild or moderate AD, and their respective caregivers. Anosognosia was assessed using the Anosognosia Questionnaire in Dementia, and we also evaluated cognitive status (Mini-Mental State Examination), functional disability (Disability Assessment in Dementia), and the presence of BPSD (Neuropsychiatric Inventory). Multinomial logistic regression was used to determine the variables associated with the incidence, persistence and remission of anosognosia. The prevalence of anosognosia was 39.5% (95% CI = 32.1-47.1) at baseline. At 12 months, incidence was 38.3% (95% CI = 28.6-48.0), persistence was 80.0% (95% CI = 69.9-90.1) and remission was 20.0% (95% CI = 9.9-30.1). The regression model identified lower age, more education, and the presence of delusions as variables associated with incidence, and more education, lower instrumental DAD score, and disinhibition as variables associated with persistence. No variables were associated with remission (n = 14). The presence of anosognosia in AD patients is high. Education and certain neuropsychiatric symptoms may explain a greater and earlier incidence of anosognosia. However, anosognosia also increases with greater cognitive impairment and disease severity.
Introducción: La hospitalización a domicilio para pacientes quirúrgicos (HaDQ) es una alternativa a la hospitalización convencional para pacientes quirúrgicos estables clínicamente, que precisen ...procedimientos de enfermería complejos por intensidad, frecuencia o características, y control por especialista quirúrgico en el domicilio.
Método: Estudio transversal, descriptivo y retrospectivo de la actividad de la HADQ de nuestro hospital durante los primeros seis meses del 2020, para analizar la repercusión de la pandemia por SARS-CoV-2 en la unidad. Se distinguen tres periodos: prepandemia (enero-febreo), confinamiento (marzo-abril), posconfinamiento (mayo-junio). Se diferencian dos grupos: A (HaD convencional) y B (despistaje preoperatorio COVID19). Se recogieron diversas variables: mes, tipo, estancia (HaD y hospital), procedimientos, reingresos, domicilio, tipo visitas, COVID+. Se realizó un análisis estadístico descriptivo cuantitativo y cualitativo de los resultados obtenidos
Resultados: Ingresaron 345 pacientes, 225 en el grupo A (fase Pre (34%), fase C (40%), y fase Pos (25%)), y 120 en el B (fase C (75%), fase Pos (25%)). El confinamiento (fase C) fue el período más activo de la HADQ, tanto por número de ingresos (53%), como por la complejidad del grupo A que requería más procedimientos (71%) y más visitas domiciliarias (52%). También aumentaron los pacientes de zona de no cobertura (42%), que implicaron visitas médicas y de enfermería en Hospital de Día (HD) (21%), y aumento de consultas telefónicas médicas (36%). En la fase Pos disminuyeron un 37% los ingresos del grupo A.
Conclusiones: La HaDQ se reorganizó por la pandemia para atender a más pacientes quirúrgicos, siendo un recurso asistencial esencial, especialmente durante el confinamiento.
Introducción: la malnutrición hospitalaria tiene una elevada prevalencia y comporta un incremento del coste sanitario. La hospitalización a domicilio (HaD) permite el control en el domicilio de un ...episodio hospitalario agudo estable clínicamente por un equipo sanitario especializado.Objetivo: conocer el estado nutricional de los pacientes que ingresen en HaD con una misma aplicación informática (app) para poder instaurar medidas nutricionales precoces en el domicilio y mejorar la evolución posthospitalaria de los pacientes.Material y metodología: estudio multicéntrico prospectivo y descriptivo del estado nutricional en cuatro unidades de HaD, durante un periodo de dos meses consecutivos durante el año 2016. Se recogieron las variables: unidad de HaD, edad, sexo, motivo de ingreso, patología asociada, procedencia, diagnóstico, valoración social, soporte nutricional previo, talla, peso, pérdida de peso, tiempo de la pérdida de peso, proteínas totales, albúmina, linfocitos, colesterol, índice de masa corporal (IMC), estado nutricional según el IMC, riesgo nutricional, tipo y grado de desnutrición. Se realizó la valoración nutricional con la app HEN-Persan y se analizaron los resultados estadísticamente con el programa informático SPSS 21.0. Resultados: no existen diferencias significativas entre las cuatro unidades. Globalmente, el 36% de pacientes ingresados en HaD presentaban un estado nutricional normal. El 87% presentaba algún tipo de malnutrición, predominando la desnutrición de tipo mixta (63%). Según el grado,fue leve (36%), moderada (27%) y grave (35%).Conclusiones: la utilización de una app permite tener una valoración nutricional inmediata, de manera fácil, segura y fiable en HaD, para poder introducir medidas nutricionales precoces y mejorar la evolución posthospitalaria de los pacientes.
The objective was to analyze the factors that influence self-perceived quality of life (QoL) in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD), contrasting two different longitudinal models. A total of 127 ...patients were followed up over 24 months. The instruments applied were: Quality of Life in Alzheimer's Disease scale (QoL-AD), Geriatric Depression Scale-15, Anosognosia Questionnaire-Dementia, Disability Assessment in Dementia, Neuropsychiatric Inventory, and the Mini-Mental State Examination. Two models for grouping patients were tested: 1) Baseline score on the QoL-AD (QoL-Baseline), and 2) Difference in QoL-AD score between baseline and follow-up (QoL-Change). Generalized estimating equations were used to analyze longitudinal data, and multinomial regression analyses were performed. Over the follow-up period the QoL-Baseline model showed greater variability between groups (Wald χ2 = 172.3, p < 0.001) than did the QoL-Change model (Wald χ2 = 1.7, p = 0.427). In the QoL-Baseline model the predictive factors were greater depression (odds ratio OR = 1.20; 95% CI: 1.00- 1.45) and lower functional ability (OR = 0.92; 95% CI: 0.85- 0.99) for the Low QoL group (< 33 QoL-AD), and less depression (OR = 0.68; 95% CI: 0.52- 0.88), more anosognosia (OR = 1.07; 95% CI: 1.01- 1.13), and fewer neuropsychiatric symptoms (OR = 0.95; 95% CI: 0.91- 0.99) for the High-QoL group (>37 QoL-AD). The model based on baseline scores (QoL-Baseline) was better than the QoL-Change model in terms of identifying trajectories and predictors of QoL in AD.
To investigate the factors associated with discrepancies between patient and caregiver reports of the quality of life of patients (QoLp) with Alzheimer disease.
Cross-sectional analytic study of 141 ...patients and their caregivers. The instruments used were the Quality of Life in AD, the Global Deterioration Scale (GDS), the Geriatric Depression Scale, and the Anosognosia Questionnaire-Dementia. Differences were analyzed according to GDS stage. A linear regression analysis was conducted using the difference between the absolute QoLp scores of patients and caregivers. A cluster analysis involving patient variables was then performed.
The discrepancy between patient and caregiver QoLp ratings increased in line with GDS stages (χ(2) (2) = 8.7, p = 0.013). In the regression model (F 7,133 = 16.6, p <0.001; R(2) = 0.477), discrepancies in QoLp reports were associated with greater anosognosia, less depression, and a better cognitive status in patients and with female gender among caregivers. The cluster analysis showed that patients with the lowest ratings of QoLp had a better cognitive status, more depression, and less anosognosia. Conversely, the highest ratings were given by patients with a poorer cognitive status, less depression, and greater anosognosia.
The factors associated with greater discrepancies between patient and caregiver ratings of QoLp were severity of dementia, anosognosia, depression, and cognitive status in patients and female gender in caregivers. In patients with advanced dementia, greater anosognosia leads to more positive ratings in QoLp and complementary observations are required.
We reviewed 200 patients with paraneoplastic encephalomyelitis (PEM) and anti-Hu antibodies to show possible clinical differences with respect to previous series, and to identify patient, tumour and ...treatment-related characteristics associated with neurological disability and survival. The median age of the 200 patients was 63 years (range 28–82 years) and 75% were men. The predominant neurological syndromes were sensory neuropathy (54%), cerebellar ataxia (10%), limbic encephalitis (9%) and multifocal involvement (11%). Sensorimotor neuropathies with predominant motor involvement were observed in only 4% of the patients. Pathological or X-ray evidence of a tumour was obtained in 167 patients (83%) and was a small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) in 74% of those with histological diagnosis. Coexistence of extrathoracic tumours with SCLC was rare (0.5%). Positive Hu immunoreactivity was observed in the extrathoracic tumours of six out of seven patients in whom autopsy or long-term follow-up ruled out a coexisting SCLC. PEM preceded the diagnosis of the tumour in 71% of patients (mean delay ± SD 6.5 ± 7.0 months; range 0.1–47 months). In the 24 patients in whom the tumour diagnosis was the initial event, PEM predicted the progression or relapse of the tumour in 87% of them. No tumour was found in 33 patients, including four who had a post-mortem study and four with >5 years of follow-up. In a logistic regression analysis, treatment of the tumour, associated or not with immunotherapy, was an independent predictor of improvement/stabilization of PEM odds ratio 4.56; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.62–12.86. Cox multivariate analysis indicated that the variables independently associated with mortality were: age >60 years relative risk (RR) 1.49; 95% CI 1.05–2.12, Rankin score at diagnosis >3 (RR 1.60; 95% CI 1.12–2.28), more than one area of the nervous system affected (RR 1.61; 95% CI 1.08–2.40), and absence of treatment (RR 2.56; 95% CI 1.76–3.71). We conclude that, unlike previous series, the majority of our patients were male, and there was a low occurrence of predominantly motor neuropathies and extrathoracic tumours coexisting with SCLC. When the diagnosed extrathoracic tumour expresses Hu antigens, further tests to rule out a coexisting SCLC are probably unnecessary. Finally, the predictors of mortality and PEM evolution found in the study may be important in the design of future therapeutic protocols, and emphasize the importance of early diagnosis and treatment of the underlying tumour.
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