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Introduction There is controversy regarding the best predictors of clinical deterioration in COVID-19. Objective This work aims to identify predictors of risk factors for deterioration in patients hospitalized due to COVID-19. Methods design Nested case-control study within a cohort. Setting: 13 acute care centers of the Osakidetza-Basque Health Service. Participants: patients hospitalized for COVID-19 with clinical deterioration—defined as onset of severe ARDS, ICU admission, or death—were considered cases. Two controls were matched to each case based on age. Sociodemographic data; comorbidities; baseline treatment; symptoms; date of onset; previous consultations; and clinical, analytical, and radiological variables were collected. An explanatory model of clinical deterioration was created by means of conditional logistic regression. Results A total of 99 cases and 198 controls were included. According to the logistic regression analysis, the independent variables associated with clinical deterioration were: emergency department O2 saturation ≤90% (OR 16.6; 95%CI 4–68), pathological chest X-ray (OR 5.6; 95%CI 1.7–18.4), CRP > 100 mg/dL (OR 3.62; 95%CI 1.62–8), thrombocytopenia with

Introduction and objective To assess the effectiveness of electromyography-guided hyaluronic acid injection laryngoplasty in the early stage of unilateral vocal fold paralysis in terms of patient recovery from dysphonia and quality of life. Methods Between January and December 2014, 28 patients with unilateral vocal fold paralysis underwent electromyography and injection of hyaluronic acid in the thyroarytenoid muscle. We compared the voice handicap index, grade, roughness, breathiness, asthenia, strain scale (GRBAS), videostroboscopic parameters and maximum phonation time assessed before, 15 days and 6 months after the intervention, using the non-parametric Wilcoxon rank test. Results Out of the 28 patients, 1 had a haematoma in the injected vocal fold (3.57%) and 6 required second injections. The maximum phonation time of the vowel /e/ increased from 6.07 to 12.14 s (15 days post-intervention) and subsequently 12.75 (6 months post-intervention). There was also a significant improvement in the grade, roughness, breathiness, asthenia, strain scale in parameters G, B and A both 15 days and 6 months after the intervention. The voice handicap index score decreased from 58.29 to 37.63 (15 days post-intervention) and 29.64 (6 months post-intervention). Conclusions Electromyography-guided hyaluronic injection laryngoplasty in unilateral vocal fold paralysis enables, in the same intervention, neuromuscular assessment and temporary treatment of glottic insufficiency with a low risk of complications and improvement in patient's quality of life. This may reduce the need for subsequent treatments, but further research is required to confirm these findings.

The A(H1N1)pdm09 influenza virus reached pandemic level in Spain in 2009, prompting a national vaccination campaign. To avoid transmission to patients, healthcare professionals' vaccination against pandemic influenza is crucial. The main objective of this study was to analyze factors associated with the failure by healthcare professionals to accept the pandemic vaccination in 2009. A cross-sectional survey was conducted of healthcare professionals in seven of Spain's autonomous regions. A questionnaire was used to collect information about personal and professional details, the respondents' flu vaccination status in the 2008-2009 and 2009-2010 seasons (seasonal and pandemic vaccines), and their knowledge and attitudes. A total of 1,661 professionals completed the survey. In the 2009-2010 season, 38.2% had both the seasonal and the pandemic vaccine, 22.1% had had only the seasonal, and 4.7% only the pandemic vaccine. The strongest predictor of not receiving the pandemic vaccine was not having had seasonal vaccinations in that year or the previous year. Those who had not received the pandemic vaccine were more often female; nurses; under 45; denied contact with at-risk groups; and had negative beliefs about the vaccine effectiveness and little concern for getting the disease, being infected at work, or passing it on to patients. It would be prudent to direct preventive campaigns not only at individuals at risk of catching flu but also at health professionals with a negative view of flu vaccine, with a particular focus on nurses, who have a key role in recommending flu vaccine.

Our aims were to create and validate a clinical decision rule to assess severity in acute heart failure. We conducted a prospective cohort study of patients with symptoms of acute heart failure who attended the emergency departments (EDs) of three hospitals between April 2011 and April 2013. The following data were collected on arrival to or during the stay in the ED: baseline severity of symptoms; presence of decompensated comorbidities; number of hospital admissions/visits to EDs for acute heart failure during the previous 24 months; triggers of the exacerbation; clinical signs and symptoms; results of ancillary tests requested in the ED; treatments prescribed; and response to the initial treatment in the ED. The main outcome was poor course during the acute phase, in-hospital for admitted patients and during the first week following the ED visit for discharged patients, this being a composite endpoint that included death, admission to an intensive care unit, need for invasive mechanical ventilation, cardiac arrest and use of non-invasive mechanical ventilation. Multivariate logistic regression models were developed. Predictors of poor course in acute heart failure were oedema on chest radiography, visits to the ED and/or admissions in the previous two years, and levels of glycemia and blood urea nitrogen (areas under the curve of 0.83 in the derivation sample, and 0.82 in the validation sample). Four clinical predictors available in the ED can be used to create a simple score to predict poor course in acute heart failure. Clinical Trials.gov ID: NCT02437058.

RATIONALE, AIMS, AND OBJECTIVES To externally validate the PREDICT tool in a cohort of women participating in a population-based breast cancer screening programme who were diagnosed with breast cancer between 2000 and 2008 in Spain. METHODS A total of 535 women were included in the validation study. We calculated predicted 5-year survival using the beta values from the development of the PREDICT model and predicted and observed events for a given risk groups. Model fit, discrimination, and calibration were evaluated. Seeking to improve the model, we also explored the impact on discrimination of the inclusion of additional variables, not in the PREDICT algorithm. RESULTS In patients who were oestrogen receptor (ER) positive (negative), PREDICT overestimated (underestimated) the 5-year overall survival in all the subgroups studied. Analysis of model performance showed good calibration but modest discrimination (C-index, 0.697 [ER negative] and 0.768 [ER positive]). When updating the model, no additional variables were found to be significant in ER-negative patients, but for ER-positive patients, concurrent liver disease was a significant factor, its inclusion improving model discrimination (C-index, 0.817). CONCLUSIONS The PREDICT tool does not discriminate well in our population considering only the variables of the original algorithm. More accurate tools are needed to obtain a better discrimination.

To identify and validate risk factors that contribute to prolonged length of hospital stay (LOS) in patients undergoing resection for colorectal cancer. This prospective cohort study included 1955 patients admitted to 22 hospitals for primary resection of colorectal cancer. Multivariate analyses were used to identify and validate risk factors, randomizing patients into a derivation and a validation cohort. Multiple correspondence and cluster analysis were performed to identify clinical subtypes based on LOS. The strongest independent predictors of prolonged LOS were postoperative reintervention, surgical site infection, open surgery, and distant metastasis. The multiple correspondence and cluster analysis provided three groups of patients in relation to prolonged LOS: patients with the longest LOS included the highest percentage of patients with open surgery, distant metastasis, deep surgical site infections, emergency admissions, additional diagnostic factors, and highly contaminated surgical sites. Patients with prolonged LOS (> 14 days) were more likely to develop adverse outcomes within 30 days after discharge. Patients undergoing resection of colorectal cancer cluster into different groups based on LOS of the index admission. Those with prolonged LOS were more likely to develop adverse outcomes within 30 days after discharge. Some of the strongest independent predictors of prolonged LOS, such as surgical infections or open surgery, could be modified to reduce LOS and, in turn, other adverse outcomes. NCT02488161

There is little evidence that the guideline-recommended oxygen saturation of 92% is the best cut-off point for detecting hypoxemia in COPD exacerbations.To detect and validate pulse oximetry oxygen saturation cut-off values likely to detect hypoxemia in patients with aeCOPD, to explore the correlation between oxygen saturation measured by pulse oximetry and hypoxemia or hypercapnic respiratory failure.Cross-sectional study nested in the IRYSS-COPD study with 2,181 episodes of aeCOPD recruited between 2008 and 2010 in 16 hospitals belonging to the Spanish Public Health System. Data collected include determination of oxygen saturation by pulse oximetry upon arrival in the emergency department (ED), first arterial blood gasometry values, sociodemographic information, background medical history and clinical variables upon ED arrival. Logistic regression models were performed using as the dependent variables hypoxemia (PaO260 mmHg) and hypercapnic respiratory failure (PaO260 mmHg and PaCO245). Optimal cut-off points were calculated.The correlation coefficient between oxygen saturation and pO2 measured by arterial blood gasometry was 0.89. The area under the curve (AUC) for the hypoxemia model was 0.97 (0.96-0.98) and the optimal cut-off point for hypoxemia was an oxygen saturation of 90%. The AUC for hypercapnic respiratory failure was 0.90 (0.87-0.92) and the optimal cut-off point was an oxygen saturation of 88%.Our results support current recommendations for ordering blood gasometry based on pulse oximetry oxygen saturation cut-offs for hypoxemia. We also provide easy to use formulae to calculate pO2 from oxygen saturation measured by pulse oximetry.

To characterize groups of primary healthcare physicians according to sociodemographic data, years of professional experience and knowledge of and attitudes to influenza, and to evaluate differences between groups with respect to influenza vaccination in the 2011-2012 season.We carried out an anonymous web survey of Spanish primary healthcare physicians in 2012. Information on vaccination, and knowledge of and attitudes to influenza was collected. Multiple correspondence analysis and cluster analysis were used to define groups of physicians.We included 835 physicians and identified three types. Type B were physicians with low professional experience of influenza. Types A and C were physicians with high professional experience with influenza, type A also had a high awareness of influenza and seasonal vaccination. Types A and C were older and more often male than type B (p0.0001). Knowledge of influenza was greatest in type A and lowest in type B. Awareness of influenza was greatest in type A and lowest in type C. In type A, 71.0% of physicians were vaccinated in the 2011-2012 season, compared with 48.1% and 33.6% from types B and C, respectively (p0.001).Additional efforts should be made to increase interest and concerns about preventing the transmission of influenza in physicians who do not believe influenza is a severe disease and are not concerned about its transmission.

The Barthel Index is one of the most employed questionnaires for the evaluation of functionality, but there is no information on its psychometric properties. The aim was to evaluate the reliability, validity, and responsiveness of the Spanish version of the Barthel Index. The data employed in this paper were obtained from four Spanish cohorts of elderly people of 60 years or older. We collected data on age, gender, education level, comorbidities, and questionnaires regarding functionality, health-related quality of life, depression, and social support. The Cronbach’s alpha coefficients were greater than 0.70. The confirmatory factor analysis provided satisfactory fit indexes and factor loadings. The correlation coefficients between the Barthel Index and the other questionnaires were lower than the Cronbach’s alpha coefficients. Known-groups validity showed significant differences in the Barthel Index according to age, number of comorbidities, and gender. The standardized effect size and the standardized response mean were between 0.68 and 1.81. This version of the Barthel Index has good reliability, its structural validity has been confirmed, and the questionnaire can discriminate between groups and detect changes at follow-up points. This questionnaire can be used in the evaluation of functionality and basic activities of daily living in elderly people with different conditions.

Multimorbidity is common in older people and may contribute to many adverse health events, such as disability. The aim of the study was to investigate how chronic health conditions (single, paired, and grouped) affect functional independence.We used two samples (a one-time, convenience sample and a nationally representative cross-sectional survey) of community-dwelling people of 65 years old or over, with a total of 2818 subjects in Spain. To assess functional independence, we used the Barthel index, administered as an interview. Information about the presence of 11 chronic health problems was collected by interview or review of their medical chart. Explanatory factor analysis was performed to assess associations between chronic health conditions.Diabetes mellitus and hypertension emerged as the pair of chronic health conditions that most affected functional status [OR 1.98; 95% CI (1.51-2.60)], followed by visual and hearing impairment. A synergistic effect was found (p0.05) for the cardiovascular disease and hypertension pair. Four multimorbidity groups emerged from the factor analysis: sensory and bone; cancer, lung and gastrointestinal; cardiovascular and metabolic; neuropsychiatric disorders. The neuropsychiatric disorders group was the most strongly associated with physical impairment [OR 4.94; 95% CI (2.71-8.99)], followed by the sensory and bones group [OR 1.90; 95% CI (1.56-2.31)].Despite its low prevalence, the neuropsychiatric disorders group was most strongly associated with lower functional status. Analysis of the relationship between chronic medical conditions and functional status could be useful to develop primary health care strategies to improve functional independence in older people with comorbidities.

AIMS: To evaluate health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and functionality among older men and women who suffered a wrist fracture because of a fall and to identify postfracture consequences. METHODS: Observational, prospective cohort study of patients recruited in the emergency departments (ED) of six public hospitals of the Basque Health Service and one of the Catalan Health Service. Two groups of adults aged 65 or older were recruited: 960 with wrist fractures because of falls (fracture cohort) and 119 without fall-related wrist fractures in the previous year (non-fracture cohort). We collected sociodemographical and clinical data; general and specific HRQoL data measured by the 12-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-12) and a short version of the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand instrument (QuickDASH); and data about basic (BADL) and instrumental (IADL) activities of daily living, measured by the Barthel Index and the Lawton and Brody Index (LBI). RESULTS: Women with wrist fractures exhibited greater declines than men 6 months after the fall in all questionnaires except the LBI, and greater declines than those in the non-fracture cohort independent of gender. Patients aged 80 years and older presented with worse baseline scores in all the outcome measures and lost more HRQoL and functionality after wrist fractures. DISCUSSION: Women and older individuals experienced the greatest reductions in HRQoL and functionality after a fall-related wrist facture, suggesting that they might merit special attention in clinical care and public health policy. CONCLUSIONS: Specific prevention strategies may be needed to avoid or reduce the consequences of fall-related wrist fractures. Language: en

Background Wrist fractures are the most common arm fractures in older adults. The impact of wrist fractures on daily functionality has been less studied than that of other types and so, less is known about the complexity of factors related to the functional impact of these fractures. This study is aimed to assess the role of individual and health care factors and its association with daily living functional changes after a wrist fracture. Methods A prospective cohort of patients aged 65 or more, affected by a fracture due to a fall, was conducted. These patients were identified at the emergency rooms of the six participating hospitals. As independent factors, the following were studied: socio-demographic data, characteristics of the fracture, health-related quality of life, wrist function and provided treatment. The main outcome was functional status measured by the Barthel Index for daily living basic activities and the Lawton Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL) Scale for daily living instrumental activities. Data were collected at baseline just after the fall and after six months of follow-up. Patients were considered to have deteriorated if their functional status as measured by Barthel Index or Lawton IADL scores decreased in a significant way during the six months of follow up. Results Barthel Index and/or Lawton IADL scores fell at six months after the fracture in 33 % of participants. This functional decline was more frequent in patients with comorbidity (p

Background To date, factors that influence satisfaction with cataract surgery have not been broadly explored. Objective To identify variables related to patient satisfaction after cataract extraction by phacoemulsification and to determine the relationship between satisfaction and visual acuity (VA) and visual function (VF). Design Prospective cohort study. Setting Five hospitals belonging to the Basque Health Care Service. Participants 4335 consecutive patients undergoing cataract extraction. Interventions Clinical data on vision were collected before the intervention and 6 weeks afterwards. Before cataract extraction, patients answered a global question about their expectations for the procedure, answered three questions related to specific activities (reading, going out and recognizing people, and doing housework) and completed the Visual Function-14 (VF-14) and Short-Form-36 (SF-36) instruments. Three months after cataract extraction, they again completed the VF-14 and SF-36 along with questions about global satisfaction with the procedure and satisfaction with the three specific activities. Main outcome measures Three months after cataract extraction, they again completed the VF-14 and SF-36 along with questions about global satisfaction with the procedure and satisfaction with the three specific activities. Results Pre-intervention VA and VF-14 scores and their post-intervention changes were associated with both global satisfaction and satisfaction with the ability to perform specific activities. Unresolved ocular complications were related to global satisfaction with cataract extraction (OR 95% = 0.39(0.27, 0.55), P

Our study identified pre-fracture variables, such as home status or function, that are directly or indirectly associated with frailty status before fracture. The prevention in the deterioration of those variables would improve the prognosis of those hip fractured, being this an important issue for the societies with increasingly aging population. This study was designed to identify predictors of pain and declines in function among elderly patients following a fall-related hip fracture. Patients aged 65 or older with a fall-related hip fracture retrospectively completed pre-fracture status questionnaires (T0; n = 740) and were then prospectively followed for 6 months (T1; n = 546). Of these, 474 were randomly selected to complete an additional 18 months of follow-up (T2; n = 356). Primary outcome measures were changes in the pain and function dimensions of the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index questionnaire’s short form (WOMAC-SF). Potential predictors included sociodemographic variables, in-hospital and clinical pre- and post-fracture data, and activities of daily living at baseline and follow-up. Multivariate logistic regression was used for analysis. Predictors of worsening pain at T1 and/or T2 included living in a home care situation or nursing home before the fracture (OR at T1, 1.515; OR at T2, 2.749), and low pre-fracture pain (OR at T1, 1.028; OR at T2, 1.027). Predictors of deterioration in function at T1 and/or T2 included age ≥85 years (OR at T1, 2.714; OR at T2, 4.762), lower income (OR at T1, 1.755), high pre-fracture hip function (OR at T1, 1.029; OR at T2, 1.028), referral to rehabilitation upon discharge (OR at T1, 2.378; OR at T2, 2.881), and longer delay between fall and surgery (OR at T1, 1.133; OR at T2, 1.124). Frailty before hip fracture is a predictor of greater post-fracture pain and deterioration in function. Given that exercise programs help prevent frailty, promoting exercise in elderly may improve the prognosis of hip fracture.

Background: Creating an easy-to-use instrument to identify predictors of short-term (30/60-day) mortality after an exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (eCOPD) could help clinicians choose specific measures of medical care to decrease mortality in these patients. The objective of this study was to develop and validate a classification and regression tree (CART) to predict short term mortality among patients evaluated in an emergency department (ED) for an eCOPD. Methods: We conducted a prospective cohort study including participants from 16 hospitals in Spain. COPD patients with an exacerbation attending the emergency department (ED) of any of the hospitals between June 2008 and September 2010 were recruited. Patients were randomly divided into derivation (50 %) and validation samples (50 %). A CART based on a recursive partitioning algorithm was created in the derivation sample and applied to the validation sample. Results: Two thousand four hundred eighty-seven patients, 1252 patients in the derivation sample and 1235 in the validation sample, were enrolled in the study. Based on the results of the univariate analysis, five variables (baseline dyspnea, cardiac disease, the presence of paradoxical breathing or use of accessory inspiratory muscles, age, and Glasgow Coma Scale score) were used to build the CART. Mortality rates 30 days after discharge ranged from 0 % to 55 % in the five CART classes. The lowest mortality rate was for the branch composed of low baseline dyspnea and lack of cardiac disease. The highest mortality rate was in the branch with the highest baseline dyspnea level, use of accessory inspiratory muscles or paradoxical breathing upon ED arrival, and Glasgow score

The aim of this study was to identify factors related to changes in dyspnoea level in the acute and short-term periods after acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. This was a prospective cohort study of patients with symptoms of acute chronic obstructive pulmonary disease exacerbation who attended one of 17 hospitals in Spain between June 2008 and September 2010. Clinical data and patient reported measures (dyspnoea level, health-related quality of life, anxiety and depression levels, capacity to perform physical activity) were collected from arrival to the emergency department up to a week after the visit in discharged patients and to discharge in admitted patients (short term). Main outcomes were time course of dyspnoea over the acute (first 24 hours) and short-term periods, mortality and readmission within 2 months of the index episode. Changes in dyspnoea in both periods were related capacity to perform physical activity as well as clinical variables. Short-term changes in dyspnoea were also related to dyspnoea at 24 hours after the ED visit, and anxiety and depression levels. Dyspnoea worsening or failing to improve over the studied periods was associated with poor clinical outcomes. Patient-reported measures are predictive of changes in dyspnoea level.

[Background] As the population ages, the prevalence of multimorbidity also increases, with consequences to several health outcomes such as disability and quality of life (QoL). This study aimed at analyzing the relationships between chronic conditions, disability, and QoL of older adults with multimorbidity in Spain., [Method] Data on older adults aged 65 years or more, with at least two chronic health conditions were drawn from three cohort studies. Sample size was 705, 443, and 4995, respectively. For each cohort, the impact of the following chronic health conditions was analyzed: asthma, cancer, cardiac, diabetes, hypertension, mental health disorders, osteoarticular conditions, and stroke. Disability and QoL measures varied according to the survey., [Results] In older adults with multimorbidity, the most prevalent conditions were osteoarticular (59.08–67.80%) and hypertension (50.64–60.03%). The presence of disability was significantly associated to having osteoarticular (OR range: 1.53 to 2.646), diabetes (OR: 1.86 to 1.71), or mental health disorders (OR: 2.19 to 3.36) in most cohorts. Disability (OR: 1.67 to 7.67), osteoarticular conditions (OR: 3.37 to 5.10), and mental health disorders (OR: 1.83 to 4.27) showed the highest effects on lower QoL than the population., [Conclusion] The presence of disability and diverse chronic conditions has a negative effect on QoL of older adults affected by multimorbidity in Spain. Public health and primary care interventions focusing on the integrated care of older adults with multimorbidity might give special attention to mental health and osteoarticular conditions., This work arises from the Joint Action on Chronic Diseases and Promoting Healthy Ageing across the Life Cycle (JA-CHRODIS), which has received funding from the European Union, in the framework of the Health Programme (2008–2013), The Quality of Life in Older Adults Study (CadeVima) was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (National Plan: SEJ2006-15122-C02-00), The Ageing in Spain Longitudinal Study, Pilot Survey (ELES) was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation, National Plan of Research and Development (ref. CSO2011-30210-C02-01)

Various studies have tried to delimit the predictors of hospital length of stay (LOS) for patients with exacerbated chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (eCOPD), but have been disadvantaged by certain limiting factors.Our goal was to prospectively identify predictors of LOS in these patients and to validate our results.This was a prospective cohort study.Subjects were patients with eCOPD who visited 16 hospital emergency departments (EDs) and who were admitted to the hospital.Data were recorded on possible predictor variables at the ED visit, on admission and 24 hours later, during hospitalization, and on discharge. LOS and prolonged LOS (≥ 9 days, considering the 75th percentile of LOS in our sample) were the outcomes of interest. Multivariate multilevel linear and logistic regression models were employed.A total of 1,453 patients were equally divided between derivation and validation samples. The hospital variable was the best predictor of LOS. Multivariate predictors of LOS, as log-transformed variables, were the hospital, baseline dyspnea and physical activity levels and fatigue at 24 hours, intensive care or intensive respiratory care unit admission, the need for antibiotics, and complications during hospitalization. Predictors of prolonged LOS were also the hospital, baseline dyspnea and fatigue at 24 hours, ICU or IRCU admission, and complications during hospitalization (AUC: 0.77). Models were validated in the validation sample (AUC: 0.75).We identified a number of modifiable factors, including baseline dyspnea, physical activity level, and hospital variability, that influenced the LOS of patients with eCOPD who were admitted to the hospital.

BACKGROUND: The impact of hip fracture because of a fall on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and activities of daily living (ADL) have not been well established. AIM: To evaluate changes in HRQoL and the ability to conduct ADL among patients with hip fracture because of a fall and to compare these changes with patients who did not fall and break a hip, adjusting by gender and age. METHODS: Adults aged 65 or more who attended the emergency departments of seven public hospitals were recruited in a prospective double-cohort study (fracture cohort, n = 776; non-fracture cohort, n = 115). ADL and HRQoL were assessed at baseline (during the postfall hospitalisation or by telephone afterwards) and 6 months later using the Barthel Index and the Lawton Brody Index for ADL, and the Short Form Health Survey (SF-12) and Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index short form (WOMAC-SF) for HRQoL. RESULTS: Adjusting by gender, age and baseline status, a hip fracture was a strong predictor of decline in all outcomes measured except for mental quality of life among men (measured by SF-12). Hip fracture patients younger than 74 years reported significantly more pain (measured by WOMAC-SF) than the comparison group (p = 0.02), but this difference was not observed among older patients (p = 0.19 for 75-84 years; p = 0.39 for ≥ 85 years). DISCUSSION: Hip fractures have profound effects on HRQoL and ADL in both men and women, regardless of age. This indicates the need for special follow-up care of elderly hip fracture patients in the immediate and late postfracture periods. Language: en

Background: Limited information is available regarding the factors related to short-term hospital admission following an exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (eCOPD). Objectives: The aim of this study was to identify variables related to short-term admission in patients with an eCOPD. Methods: This was a prospective cohort study of patients with an eCOPD who attended an emergency department (ED) at 1 of 16 hospitals. Information on possible predictor variables was recorded during the ED stay, 24 h after admission to the hospital or after ED discharge home, and at hospital discharge or 1 week later if discharged home from the ED. An admission after an eCOPD within 2 months was the outcome of interest. Multivariate models were employed for patients admitted to the hospital or discharged home from the ED. Results: For patients discharged home from the ED, eCOPD-related hospital admissions in the previous year [odds ratio (OR) 1.98 and 2.33], pCO2 at ED admission (ORs 2.02 and 2.90), the number of ED visits within 1 week of the index ED visit (OR 5.14) and dyspnea level 1 week after the index ED visit (ORs 2.66 and 1.40) were predictors of short-term admission [area under the curve (AUC) 0.82]. For patients admitted to the hospital during the index ED visit, baseline FEV1% (ORs 1.32 and 1.88), eCOPD-related hospital admissions in the previous year (ORs 1.28 and 2.51), severe baseline dyspnea (OR 2.57) and dyspnea level 1 week after the index ED visit (ORs 2.15 and 1.74) were predictors of short-term readmission (AUC 0.73). Conclusions: Just a few easily recorded parameters may allow clinicians to identify patients at a higher risk of short-term readmission and establish preventive strategies.

The IRYSS-COPD appropriateness study was developed in 16 hospitals belonging to the Spanish National Health Service from June 2008 to September 2010 (n = 2,877). The objectives were to apply a set of explicit criteria for the appropriateness of hospital admission created by the RAND/UCLA methodology to patients evaluated in the emergency department (ED) for exacerbations of COPD. This is a prospective cohort study. We explored the relationship between appropriateness of admission as defined by the explicit criteria and the final decision to admit or discharge. A total of 2,877 patients were included for analysis; of these, 1,747 (60.7 %) were admitted and 1,130 (39.3 %) were discharged from the ED to home. Among patients classified by the explicit criteria as appropriate for hospital admission, 81.3 % were admitted, compared with 64.81 % of those classified as uncertain and 48.65 % of those classified as inappropriate for admission. Severity of exacerbation was the most influencing variable in the decision. Application of our explicit criteria for appropriate hospital admission among a large sample of patients experiencing an exacerbation of COPD in the ED setting suggests that these criteria could be used as the basis for clinical decision-making and health-care assessment.

Background The adequate information about the functional capacity of elderly populations is a key for the comprehensive assessment of their health status and autonomy. The Lawton IADL (instrumental activities of daily living) Scale is a very often used scale to assess independent living skills, but has never been validated for its use in Spanish-speaking populations. The purpose of this study was to assess the validity, the reliability, and responsiveness of this widely used scale. Methods The validation was based on a prospective cohort of 1,965 patients aged 65 or over who suffered an accidental fall with a hip or wrist fracture as a result. These patients were followed up six months after the production of the fracture. Cronbach’s alpha was used to assess reliability, and exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) for the construct validity. Convergent and discriminant validity were examined by the correlation of the IADL Scale with the Barthel Index, SF-12, WOMAC short form, and QuickDASH questionnaires. Known-groups validity was also studied comparing IADL Scale according to different groups, and responsiveness was assessed by means of effect sizes. Results The mean age was 80.04 years (SD 8.04). The Cronbach alpha coefficient was 0.94. In the EFA, factor loadings ranged from 0.67 to 0.90, and CFA confirmed the homogeneity of the construct. Regarding the convergent validity, all correlation coefficients were higher than 0.40. Significant differences were found according to different groups, supporting known-groups validity. Responsiveness parameters showed moderate to large changes (effect sizes, 0.79 and 0.84 among patients classified as worsened). Conclusions These results confirm that the Spanish version of the Lawton IADL Scale has excellent reliability and validity and a moderate to large sensitivity to change. This study provides a proper validation, not only of the Spanish version of the Lawton IADL Scale, but also of the original instrument.