Individual Pharmacotherapy Management (IPM) - I: a group-matched retrospective controlled clinical study on prevention of complicating delirium in the elderly trauma patients and identification of associated factors

Background Delirium is one of the most frequent complications in hospitalized elderly patients with additional costs such as prolongation of hospital stays and institutionalization, with risk of reduced functional recovery, long-term cognitive impairment, and increased morbidity and mortality. We analyzed the effect of individual pharmacotherapy management (IPM) in the University Hospital Halle in geriatric trauma patients on complicating delirium and aimed to identify associated factors. Methods In a retrospective controlled clinical study of 404 hospitalized trauma patients ≥70 years we compared the IPM intervention group (IG) with a control group (CG) before IPM implementation. Delirium was recorded from the hospital discharge letter. The medication review and data records included baseline data, all medications, diagnoses, electrocardiogram (ECG), laboratory and vital parameters during hospitalization. The IPM internist and the senior trauma physician guaranteed personnel and structural continuity in the implementation of the interdisciplinary patient rounds. Results There was a highly matched congruence between CG and IG in terms of age, gender, residency, BMI, most diagnoses, and injury patterns to compare the two groups. The total number of medications per patient was 11.1 ± 4.9 (CG) versus 10.4 ± 3.6 (IG). Our targeted IPM focus on 6 frontline aspects with reduction of antipsychotics, anticholinergic burden, benzodiazepines, serotonergic opioids, elimination of pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic drug interactions and overdosage reduced complicating delirium from 5% to almost zero at 0.5%. The association of IPM with a significant 10-fold reduction, OR = 0.09 [95% CI 0.01–0.7], in univariable regression, maintained of clinical relevance in multivariable regression OR = 0.1 [95% CI 0.01–1.1]. Factors most strongly associated with complicating delirium in univariable regression were cognitive dysfunction, nursing home residency, muscle relaxants, antiparkinsonian agents, xanthines, transient disorientation documented in the fall risk scale, antibiotic-requiring infections, antifungals, antipsychotics, and intensive care stay, the two latter maintaining significance in multivariable regression. Conclusions IPM is associated with a highly effective prevention of complicating delirium in the elderly trauma patients. For patient safety it should be integrated as an essential preventative contribution. The associated factors help identify patients at risk.

Failure to Rescue in Geriatric Trauma: The Impact of Any Complication Increases with Age and Injury Severity in Elderly Trauma Patients

Introduction The interaction of increasing age, Injury Severity Score (ISS), and complications is not well described in geriatric trauma patients. We hypothesized that failure to rescue rate from any complication worsens with age and injury severity. Methods The National Trauma Data Bank (NTDB) was queried for injured patients aged 65 years or older from January 1, 2013 through December 31, 2016. Demographics and injury characteristics were used to compare groups. Mortality rates were calculated across subgroups of age and ISS, and captured with heatmaps. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to identify independent predictors of mortality. Results 614,496 geriatric trauma patients were included; 151,880 (24.7%) experienced a complication. Those with complications tended to be older, female, non-white, have non-blunt mechanism, higher ISS, and hypotension on arrival. Overall mortality was highest (19%) in the oldest (≥86 years old) and most severely injured (ISS ≥ 25) patients, with constant age increasing across each ISS group was associated with a 157% increase in overall mortality ( P < .001, 95% CI: 148-167%). Holding ISS stable, increasing age group was associated with a 48% increase in overall mortality ( P < .001, 95% CI: 44-52%). After controlling for standard demographic variables at presentation, the existence of any complication was an independent predictor of overall mortality in geriatric patients (OR: 2.3; 95% CI: 2.2-2.4). Conclusions Any complication was an independent risk factor for mortality, and scaled with increasing age and ISS in geriatric patients. Differences in failure to rescue between populations may reflect critical differences in physiologic vulnerability that could represent targets for interventions.

Identification of Sarcopenia in Elderly Trauma Patients: The Value of Clinical Competency and Experience

Introduction There is currently no standard definition of sarcopenia, which has often been associated with frailty. A commonly cited surrogate measure of sarcopenia is psoas muscle size. The purpose of this prospective study is to assess medical providers’ capabilities to identify frail elderly trauma patients and consequent impact on outcomes after intensive care unit admission. Methods Trauma intensive care unit patients over the age of 50 were enrolled. A preadmission functional status questionnaire was completed on admission. Attendings, residents, and nurses, blinded to their patient’s sarcopenic status, completed surveys regarding 6-month prognosis. Chart review included cross-sectional psoas area measurements on computerized tomography scan. Finally, patients received phone calls 3 and 6 months after admission to determine overall health and functional status. Results Seventy-six participants had an average age of 70 years and a corrected psoas area of 383 ± 101 mm2/m2. Injury Severity Score distribution (17.2 ± 8.9) was similar for both groups. Patients also had similar preinjury activities of daily living. Both groups had similar hospital courses. While sarcopenic patients were less likely to be predicted to survive to 6 months (60% vs. 76%, P = 0.017), their actual 6-month mortality was similar (22% vs. 21%, P = 0.915). Conclusion Despite similar objective measures of preadmission health and trauma injury severity, medical providers were able to recognize frail patients and predicted they would have worse outcomes. Interestingly, sarcopenic patients had similar outcomes to the control group. Additional studies are needed to further delineate factors influencing provider insight into functional reserves of elderly trauma patients.