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Objectives: During the coronavirus disease (COVID‐19) pandemic, patients with altered mental status (AMS: dementia, delirium and delirium superimposed on dementia) were profoundly affected by an abrupt transformation in healthcare systems. Here, we evaluated quality‐care outcomes, including length of stay (LOS), in‐hospital mortality, early readmission and mortality after hospital discharge, in older adults admitted for AMS during the pandemic and compared them to patients admitted prior to the pandemic. Methods: Chi‐squared and Fisher's exact tests were used to examine changes to admissions for AMS before and during the pandemic, and their outcomes. Logistic regression analyses, with reference to pre‐pandemic data, were conducted to examine the impact of the pandemic on outcomes. Design: Prospective data of 21,192 non‐COVID admissions to an acute general medical department in a Surrey (UK) hospital were collected from patients admitted before (1st April 2019 to 29th February 2020) and during the pandemic (1st March 2020 to 31st March 2021). Results: There were 10,173 (47.7% men) from the pre‐pandemic and 11,019 (47.5% men) from the pandemic periods; overall mean age = 68.3yr. During the pandemic AMS patients had significantly higher admission rates (1.1% vs 0.6%, P < 0.001). However, median LOS in hospital was shorter (9.0 days [IQR = 5.3–16.2] vs 15.5 days [IQR = 6.2–25.7], P < 0.001) and thus were less likely to stay in hospital >3 weeks: adjusted OR = 0.26 (95%CI = 0.12–0.57). In‐hospital mortality and readmission within 28 days of discharge did not change during the pandemic, but were less likely to die within 30 days of discharge: adjusted OR = 0.32 (95%CI = 0.11–0.96). Conclusions: This combination of higher admission rate, shorter LOS, and an unchanging early readmission suggests a higher admission‐discharge turnover of different patients with AMS and provides important insights into the potential impact of the COVID‐19 pandemic on healthcare delivery to individuals with AMS. Key points: During the coronavirus disease (COVID‐19) pandemic, patients with altered mental status (AMS: dementia, delirium and delirium superimposed on delirium) were profoundly affected by an abrupt transformation in healthcare systems.Patients admitted with AMS during the pandemic had higher admission rates but shorter length of stay (LOS) in hospital, whilst mortality in hospital and readmission within 28 days of discharge did not change during the pandemicThese observations suggest a higher admission‐discharge turnover of different patients with AMS and provide important insights into the potentially impact of the COVID‐19 pandemic on healthcare delivery to individuals with AMS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To assess the impact of urinary incontinence (UI) on health outcomes over the entire spectrum of acute stroke severity (National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale [NIHSS] scores: 0–42), due to a paucity of data on patients with milder strokes. Patients and Methods: Data were prospectively collected (2014–2016) from the Sentinel Stroke National Audit Programme (1593 men, 1591 women; mean [SD] age 76.8 [13.3] years) admitted to four UK hyperacute stroke units (HASUs). Relationships between variables were assessed by multivariable logistic regression. Data were adjusted for age, sex, comorbidities, pre‐stroke disability and intra‐cranial haemorrhage, and presented as odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals. Results: Amongst patients with no symptoms or a minor stroke (NIHSS scores of 0–4), compared to patients without UI, patients with UI had significantly greater risks of poor outcomes including: in‐hospital mortality; disability at discharge; in‐hospital pneumonia; urinary tract infection within 7 days of admission; prolonged length of stay on the HASU; palliative care by discharge; activity of daily living (ADL) support, and new discharge to care home. In patients with more moderate stroke (NIHSS score of 5–15) the same outcomes were identified; being at greater risk for patients with UI, except for palliative care by discharge and ADL support. With the highest stroke severity group (NIHSS score of 16–48) all outcomes were identified except in‐patient mortality, pneumonia, and ADL support. However, odds ratios diminished as NIHSS scores increased. Conclusions: Urinary incontinence is a useful indicator of poor short‐term outcomes in older patients with an acute stroke, but irrespective of stroke severity. This provides valuable information to healthcare professionals to identify at‐risk individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The presence of urinary incontinence (UI) in acute stroke patients indicates poor outcomes in men and women. However, there is a paucity and inconsistency of data on UI risk factors in this group and hence we conducted a sex‐specific analysis to identify risk factors. Methods: Data were collected prospectively (2014–2016) from the Sentinel Stroke National Audit Program for patients admitted to four UK hyperacute stroke units. Relevant risk factors for UI were determined by stepwise multivariable logistic regression, presented as odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). Results: The mean (±SD) age of UI onset in men (73.9 year ± 13.1; n = 1593) was significantly earlier than for women (79.8 year ± 12.9; n = 1591: p < 0.001). Older age between 70 and 79 year in men (OR = 1.61: CI = 1.24–2.10) and women (OR = 1.55: CI = 1.12–2.15), or ≥80 year in men (OR = 2.19: CI = 1.71–2.81), and women (OR = 2.07: CI = 1.57–2.74)–reference: <70 year–both predicted UI. In addition, intracranial hemorrhage (reference: acute ischemic stroke) in men (OR = 1.64: CI = 1.22–2.20) and women (OR = 1.75: CI = 1.30–2.34); and prestroke disability (mRS scores ≥ 4) in men (OR = 1.90: CI = 1.02–3.5) and women (OR = 1.62: CI = 1.05–2.49) (reference: mRS scores < 4); and stroke severity at admission: NIHSS scores = 5–15 in men (OR = 1.50: CI = 1.20–1.88) and women (OR = 1.72: CI = 1.37–2.16), and NIHSS scores = 16–42 in men (OR = 4.68: CI = 3.20–6.85) and women (OR = 3.89: CI = 2.82–5.37) (reference: NIHSS scores = 0–4) were also significant. Factors not selected were: a history of congestive heart failure, hypertension, atrial fibrillation, diabetes and previous stroke. Conclusions: We have identified similar risk factors for UI after stroke in men and women including age >70 year, intracranial hemorrhage, prestroke disability and stroke severity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Diabetes mellitus and central obesity are more common among South Asian populations than among White British people. This study explores the differences in diabetes and obesity in South Asians with stroke living in the United Kingdom, India, and Qatar compared with White British stroke patients. Methods: The study included the UK, Indian, and Qatari arms of the ongoing large Bio-Repository of DNA in Stroke (BRAINS) international prospective hospital-based study for South Asian stroke. BRAINS includes 4580 South Asian and White British recruits from UK, Indian, and Qatar sites with first-ever ischemic stroke. Results: The study population comprises 1751 White British (WB) UK residents, 1165 British South Asians (BSA), 1096 South Asians in India (ISA), and 568 South Asians in Qatar (QSA). ISA, BSA, and QSA South Asians suffered from higher prevalence of diabetes compared with WB by 14.5% (ISA: 95% confidence interval (CI) = 18.6–33.0, p < 0.001), 31.7% (BSA: 95% CI = 35.1–50.2, p < 0.001), and 32.7% (QSA: 95% CI = 28.1–37.3, p < 0.001), respectively. Although WB had the highest prevalence of body mass index (BMI) above 27 kg/m2 compared with South Asian patients (37% vs 21%, p < 0.001), South Asian patients had a higher waist circumference than WB (94.8 cm vs 90.8 cm, p < 0.001). Adjusting for traditional stroke risk factors, ISA, BSA, and QSA continued to display an increased risk of diabetes compared with WB by 3.28 (95% CI: 2.53–4.25, p < 0.001), 3.61 (95% CI: 2.90–4.51, p < 0.001), and 5.24 (95% CI: 3.93–7.00, p < 0.001), respectively. Conclusion: South Asian ischemic stroke patients living in Britain and Qatar have a near 3.5-fold risk of diabetes compared with White British stroke patients. Their body composition may partly help explain that increased risk. These findings have important implications for public health policymakers in nations with large South Asian populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]