Search

The worldwide prevalence of obesity has nearly tripled since 1975. Between 1999 and 2017 it rose from 30.5 to 42.4% in the USA and from 11.5 to 16.3% in Germany (1). Obesity is a risk factor for osteoarthritis of the hip and even more so of the knee, which is why obese patients often present for joint replacement. However, they have a greater risk of complications in comparison with the non-obese. So far, studies dealing with this issue have only examined smaller cohorts, while data from Germany are lacking altogether. The aim of our study was to examine the association between obesity and complication rates, revision rates, and mortality after primary and revision replacement surgery of the hip and knee (HRS, R-HRS, KRS, R- KRS), respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Social support has been suggested to positively influence cognition and mortality in old age. However, this suggestion has been questioned due to inconsistent operationalisations of social support among studies and the small number of longitudinal studies available. This study aims to investigate the influence of perceived social support, understood as the emotional component of social support, on cognition and mortality in old age as part of a prospective longitudinal multicentre study in Germany. Methods A national subsample of 2,367 primary care patients was assessed twice over an observation period of 18 months regarding the influence of social support on cognitive function and mortality. Perceived social support was assessed using the 14-item version of the FSozU, which is a standardised and validated questionnaire of social support. Cognition was tested by the neuropsychological test battery of the Structured Interview for the Diagnosis of Dementia (SIDAM). The influence of perceived support on cognitive change was analysed by multivariate ANCOVA; mortality was analysed by multivariate logistic and cox regression. Results Sample cognitive change (N = 1,869): Mean age was 82.4 years (SD 3.3) at the beginning of the observation period, 65.9% were female, mean cognition was 49 (SD 4.4) in the SIDAM. Over the observation period cognitive function declined in 47.2% by a mean of 3.4 points. Sample mortality (N = 2,367): Mean age was 82.5 years (SD 3.4), 65.7% were female and 185 patients died during the observation period. Perceived social support showed no longitudinal association with cognitive change (F = 2.235; p = 0.135) and mortality (p = 0.332; CI 0.829-1.743). Conclusions Perceived social support did not influence cognition and mortality over an 18 months observation period. However, previous studies using different operationalisations of social support and longer observation periods indicate that such an influence may exist. This influence is rather small and the result of complex interaction mechanisms between different components of social support; the emotional component seems to have no or only a limited effect. Further research is needed to describe the complex interactions between components of social support. Longer observation periods are necessary and standardised operationalisations of social support should be applied.

Background: Over the last years, new transfusion guidelines and pharmaceuticals have been introduced in primary and revision total hip and knee arthroplasty (P-THA, P-TKA, R-THA, R-TKA). In the US, a substantial decrease in transfusions has been observed in recent years. Little data exists on the subject in Europe. In this context we aimed to analyze: (1) Is there also a significant decrease in blood transfusion for these procedures in Germany? (2) Which patient and hospital related factors are associated with the risk of blood transfusion? (3) Is there a trend in complications, especially venous thromboembolism and stroke events that can be linked to tranexamic acid use?, Hypothesis: There is a significant trend in decreasing blood transfusions in hip and knee arthroplasty., Methods: Using nationwide healthcare insurance data for inpatient hospital treatment, 736,061 cases treated between January 2011 and December 2017 were included (318,997 P-THAs, 43,780 R-THAs, 338,641 P-TKAs, 34,643 R-TKAs). Multivariable logistic regression was used to model the odds of transfusion as a function of the year of surgery. Adjusted odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated., Results: In each cohort the odds of transfusion decreased over time (2017 vs. 2011 (reference): P-THA: OR 0.42 (95%CI: 0.39-0.45), P-TKA: OR 0.41 (95%CI: 0.37-0.46), R-THA: OR 0.52 (95%CI: 0.47-0.58), R-TKA: OR 0.53 (95%CI: 0.46-0.61). Patient-related risk factors for blood transfusion included older age, female gender, lower Body Mass Index, comorbidities such as renal failure, cardiac arrhythmia, congestive heart failure, valvular disease, coagulopathy, depression, and antithrombotic medication prior to surgery. Venous thromboembolism or stroke events did not increase over the study period., Discussion: The incidence of blood transfusions in primary and revision TKA and THA decreased over the study period. This may be due to new transfusion guidelines and the introduction of novel pharmaceuticals such as tranexamic acid. A further improved patient blood management and a focus on vulnerable patient groups might lead to a further future reduction of transfusions, especially in R-THA., Level of Evidence: III; comparative observational study., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Background: It has not been conclusively established whether, or to what extent, the time to surgery affects mortality and the risk of complications after the surgical treatment of proximal femoral fractures., Methods: Data on 106 187 hospitalizations over the period 2015-2017 involving insurees of the German AOK health insurance company aged 20 and above were drawn from pseudonymized billing data and stratified in three subgroups: osteosynthesis for pertrochanteric fracture (PTF-OS: N = 52 358), osteosynthesis for femoral neck fracture (FNF-OS: N = 7970), and endoprosthesis for femoral neck fracture (FNF-EP: N = 45 859). Multivariate regression models were used to analyze the relation between preoperative in-hospital stay (time to surgery, TTS: 0 days [reference category], 1, 2, 3, 4-7 days) and mortality and general complications within 90 days, with risk adjustment for fracture site, operative method, age, sex, accompanying illnesses, and antithrombotic medication in the preceding year., Results: Mortality was significantly elevated only with PTF-OS, and only with a TTS of 2 days (odds ratio: 1.12 [95% confidence interval: (1.02; 1.23)]). General complications in relation to TTS were significantly elevated in the following situations: PTF-OS: 2 days: OR 1.24 [1.13; 1.37], 3 days: OR 1.33 [1.11; 1.60], 4-7 days: OR 1.47 [1.21; 1.78]; FNF-EP: 3 days: OR 1.21 [1.06; 1.37], 4-7 days: OR 1.42 [1.25; 1.62]; FNF-OS: 4-7 days: OR 1.86 [1.26; 2.73]., Conclusion: A prolonged time to surgery is associated with an elevated general complication risk depending on the site of the fracture and the type of surgical procedure used.

Objective: To analyse predictors of costs in dementia from a societal perspective in a longitudinal setting., Method: Healthcare resource use and costs were assessed retrospectively using a questionnaire in four waves at 6-month intervals in a sample of dementia patients (N = 175). Sociodemographic data, dementia severity and comorbidity at baseline, cognitive impairment and impairment in basic and instrumental activities of daily living were also recorded. Linear mixed regression models with random intercepts for individuals were used to analyse predictors of total and sector-specific costs., Results: Impairment in activities of daily living significantly predicted total costs in dementia patients, with associations between basic activities of daily living and formal care costs on the one and instrumental activities of daily living and informal care costs on the other hand. Nursing home residence was associated with lower total costs than residence in the community. There was no effect of cognition on total or sector-specific costs., Conclusion: Cognitive deficits in dementia are associated with costs only via their effect on the patients' capacity for activities of daily living. Transition into a nursing home may reduce total costs from a societal perspective, owing to the fact that a high amount of informal care required by severely demented patients prior to transition into a nursing home may cause higher costs than inpatient nursing care.

Background: Multimorbidity has a negative impact on health-related quality of life (HRQL). Previous studies included only a limited number of conditions. In this study, we analyse the impact of a large number of conditions on HRQL in multimorbid patients without preselecting particular diseases. We also explore the effects of these conditions on the specific dimensions of HRQL., Materials and Methods: This analysis is based on a multicenter, prospective cohort study of 3189 multimorbid primary care patients aged 65 to 85. The impact of 45 conditions on HRQL was analysed. The severity of the conditions was rated. The EQ-5D, consisting of 5 dimensions and a visual-analogue-scale (EQ VAS), was employed. Data were analysed using multiple ordinary least squares and multiple logistic regressions. Multimorbidity measured by a weighted count score was significantly associated with lower overall HRQL (EQ VAS), b = -1.02 (SE: 0.06). Parkinson's disease had the most pronounced negative effect on overall HRQL (EQ VAS), b = -12.29 (SE: 2.18), followed by rheumatism, depression, and obesity. With regard to the individual EQ-5D dimensions, depression (OR = 1.39 to 3.3) and obesity (OR = 1.44 to 1.95) affected all five dimensions of the EQ-5D negatively except for the dimension anxiety/depression. Obesity had a positive effect on this dimension, OR = 0.78 (SE: 0.07). The dimensions "self-care", OR = 4.52 (SE: 1.37) and "usual activities", OR = 3.59 (SE: 1.0), were most strongly affected by Parkinson's disease. As a limitation our sample may only represent patients with at most moderate disease severity., Conclusions: The overall HRQL of multimorbid patients decreases with an increasing count and severity of conditions. Parkinson's disease, depression and obesity have the strongest impact on HRQL. Further studies should address the impact of disease combinations which require very large sample sizes as well as advanced statistical methods.

Background: To analyze the impact of multimorbidity (MM) on health care costs taking into account data heterogeneity., Methods: Data come from a multicenter prospective cohort study of 1,050 randomly selected primary care patients aged 65 to 85 years suffering from MM in Germany. MM was defined as co-occurrence of ≥3 conditions from a list of 29 chronic diseases. A conditional inference tree (CTREE) algorithm was used to detect the underlying structure and most influential variables on costs of inpatient care, outpatient care, medications as well as formal and informal nursing care., Results: Irrespective of the number and combination of co-morbidities, a limited number of factors influential on costs were detected. Parkinson's disease (PD) and cardiac insufficiency (CI) were the most influential variables for total costs. Compared to patients not suffering from any of the two conditions, PD increases predicted mean total costs 3.5-fold to approximately € 11,000 per 6 months, and CI two-fold to approximately € 6,100. The high total costs of PD are largely due to costs of nursing care. Costs of inpatient care were significantly influenced by cerebral ischemia/chronic stroke, whereas medication costs were associated with COPD, insomnia, PD and Diabetes. Except for costs of nursing care, socio-demographic variables did not significantly influence costs., Conclusions: Irrespective of any combination and number of co-occurring diseases, PD and CI appear to be most influential on total health care costs in elderly patients with MM, and only a limited number of factors significantly influenced cost., Trial Registration: Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN89818205.