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Introduction: Lumbar puncture (LP) is an essential diagnostic procedure, which raises major concerns in older adults. Some patients may be denied LP because of the fear of complications in healthcare teams which are not familiar with the procedure. The objectives of our work were to analyze the perspectives and the experiences regarding scheduled LP in cognitively impaired older adults, as well as in their relatives, and the healthcare teams from geriatric day hospitals., Methods: We conducted a qualitative, observational and multicentric study, based on semi-directive interviews of patients aged over 70 years with cognitive complaints undergoing a scheduled LP in a day hospital. Patients were interviewed before and after LP. Their relatives and the involved healthcare teams were also interviewed to analyze their expectations and perspectives regarding the procedure. The full interviews were transcribed and analyzed using interpretative phenomenological analysis., Results: Ten patients (mean age 80.2 ± 7.2), five relatives and four healthcare teams were included. The goals and operating procedure of LP were poorly understood by several patients. Some individuals feared irreversible neurological consequences or LP-related pain, which was often overestimated with regards to the post-LP interviews. The patients' major expectation was to establish an accurate and early diagnosis of their cognitive disorder to provide optimal care plan. Relatives reported similar fears of major adverse events. They also expected an accurate diagnosis with biomarkers. The perspectives and experiences of the healthcare teams were heterogeneous, according to their level of practice of LP, but seemed in line with current scientific guidelines., Conclusion: This study highlighted the existence of false beliefs and poor knowledge regarding the LP procedure and its associated risks. The post-LP patients' feedbacks were better than their expectations, especially in day hospitals with solid experience in LP. Better patient information may be a key to improve our practice.

Heart failure is a frequent disease in the elderly. Its clinical presentation is less typical and the prognosis more severe than in younger subjects because heart failure occurs in patients with multiple comorbidities. A comprehensive geriatric assessment should therefore be performed to detect the vulnerabilities and manage the comorbidities. The main diseases associated with heart failure are dementia, depression, malnutrition, atrial fibrillation, coronary artery disease, orthostatic hypotension, renal failure, anemia and iron deficiency. Comorbidities worsen heart failure and makes its treatment more difficult. The identification and treatment of comorbidities improve the prognosis in terms of mortality but especially in terms of quality of life. Caution with drugs is necessary because of pharmacokinetic or pharmacodynamic changes related to aging and the comorbidities. In this context, clinical and laboratory monitoring should be increased, mostly during an acute event (acute heart failure, infection, dehydration, fall, new therapy…). Therefore, the follow-up of elderly patients with heart failure requires a multidisciplinary approach that involves close cooperation between cardiologists, geriatricians, general practitioners, nurses, and pharmacists.