Tele-ophthalmology for screening for eye diseases in older patients with cognitive complaints.

Introduction: Population-based studies show a significant increase in the prevalence of visual impairment in older patients. However, older patients and patients with lower Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores have few ophthalmological assessments. The main objective of our study was to evaluate the feasibility of tele-ophthalmological screening for ophthalmological diseases in older patients referred for cognitive assessment.

Direct oral anticoagulants in non-valvular atrial fibrillation in elderly: for a treatment adapted to patient profile.

Atrial fibrillation is the most frequent rhythm disorder in elderly patients. Moreover, the risk of stroke and the bleeding risk under anticoagulant treatment are the highest in this population. Vitamin K antagonists were until now the reference treatment of the anticoagulant treatment and they demonstrated a net benefit, including in elderly patients.

[Appropriateness of direct admissions to acute care geriatric unit for nursing home patients: an adaptation of the AEPf GRID].

The patient population staying in nursing homes is increasingly vulnerable and dependent and should benefit from a direct access to an acute care geriatric unit. Nevertheless, the easy access by a simple phone call from the general practitioner to the geriatrician, as well as the lack of orientation of these patients by emergency units, might lead to inappropriate admissions. This work studied the appropriateness of direct admissions of 40 patients living in nursing home in an acute care geriatric unit.

[Atrial fibrillation, comorbidities and new anticoagulants].

Unlabelled: The atrial fibrillation (AF) is one of the most important cause of arythmia and cerebrovascular disease in clinical practice. Comorbidity is defined as the association of active chronical diseases and a target disease.

Method: comparison between burden illness of the patients in interventional (n=4) and observational studies, form Medline database (n=4), was performed.

[General characteristics of the new oral anticoagulants].

Treatment with vitamin K antagonists are subject to a common iatrogenic mainly characterized by hemorrhagic stroke. Their narrow therapeutic range associated with variability largely explains this phenomenon. New oral anticoagulants (NOAC) are now available.

[Six-months outcomes after admission in acute geriatric care unit secondary to a fall].

Unlabelled: Fall in elderly subject is a main event by its medical and social consequences, but few studies were dedicated to the prognosis from hospitalization in geriatric acute care unit.

Aim: Describe the outcome of elderly subjects hospitalized after a fall in geriatric acute care unit.

Methods: Longitudinal study of 6 months follow-up, 100 patients of 75 and more years old hospitalized after a fall in acute care geriatric unit.

[Arterial stiffness a new risk factor to measure].

We revue the epidemiology of cardiovascular disease in the elderly, their relationship to arterial stiffness. The measurement of arterial stiffness is of considerable increasing interest in this early 21 century. This paper is focusing on modeling, in different measurement methods.

[Modalities of hospitalization in emergency of institutionalized patients].

Background And Aim: Institutionalized people represent 9 to 37% of the patients hospitalized in emergency. The aim of this study is to clarify practical conditions of decision and realization of an hospitalization in emergency from an institution.

Patients And Method: This is a prospective and descriptive longitudinal study of the hospitalizations in emergency of institutionalized elderly during six months, from 11 nursing homes.

[Nutrition and osteoporosis in elderly].

Osteoporosis concerns 50% of women over 80 years. Prevalence of energizing and protein malnutrition is high as for institutional elderly people as for community dwelling elderly people. Malnutrition, physical inactivity and many etiological factors lead to tissular losses especially on protein compartment, named sarcopenia.

Aortic involvement in recent-onset giant cell (temporal) arteritis: a case-control prospective study using helical aortic computed tomodensitometric scan.

Objective: The prevalence of the involvement of large vessels in giant cell arteritis (GCA) is 3-13%. Aortitis is the most serious complication of GCA. Computed tomodensitometric (CT) scan allows analysis of both the aortic wall and endoluminal part of the aorta.

Withholding or withdrawing dialysis in the elderly: the perspective of a western region of France.

Background: In the US and Canada, dialysis discontinuation is one of the more frequent causes of death in elderly patients on haemodialysis, particularly after the age of 75. The aim of this study was to analyse the practices of some French nephrologists, 17 of whom (in six nephrology units) were interviewed for this study.

Methods: A questionnaire was formulated on the basis of a bibliographical search of the topic.

Sarcoidosis diagnosed in elderly subjects: retrospective study of 30 cases.

Study Objective: This study investigated the clinical features and disease course of sarcoidosis diagnosed in patients > 70 years of age.

Methods: A retrospective analysis was made of cases treated at the University Hospital in Nantes, France, between 1986 and 2000. The diagnosis of sarcoidosis was confirmed histopathologically.

[Giant cell arteritis after the age of 75].

Despite its increasing incidence giant cell arteritis is not well detected in the elderly. Response to corticosteroid treatment is the same before and after the age of 75, but there are many steroid-induced side effects, particularly bone fractures, in the elderly. Therefore, it is important to reduce the corticosteroid load in elderly and frail people.