A Comparison of Patients with Hip Fracture, Ten Years Apart: Morbidity, Malnutrition and Sarcopenia

Sarcopenia and sarcopenic obesity among older adults in the nordic countries: a scoping review

BACKGROUND

Sarcopenia and sarcopenic obesity (SO) are age-related syndromes that may compromise physical and mental health among older adults. The Nordic countries differ from other regions on prevalence of disease, life-style behavior, and life expectancy, which may impact prevalence of sarcopenia and SO. Therefore, the aim of this study is to review the available evidence and gaps within this field in the Nordic countries.

METHODS

PubMed, Embase, and Web of science (WOS) were searched up to February 2023. In addition, grey literature and reference lists of included studies were searched. Two independent researcher assessed papers and extracted data.

RESULTS

Thirty-three studies out of 6,363 searched studies were included in this scoping review. Overall prevalence of sarcopenia varied from 0.9 to 58.5%. A wide prevalence range was still present for community-dwelling older adults when definition criteria and setting were considered. The prevalence of SO ranged from 4 to 11%, according to the only study on this field. Based on the included studies, potential risk factors for sarcopenia include malnutrition, low physical activity, specific diseases (e.g., diabetes), inflammation, polypharmacy, and aging, whereas increased levels of physical activity and improved dietary intake may reduce the risk of sarcopenia. The few available interventions for sarcopenia were mainly focused on resistance training with/without nutritional supplements (e.g., protein, vitamin D).

CONCLUSION

The findings of our study revealed inadequate research on SO but an increasing trend in the number of studies on sarcopenia. However, most of the included studies had descriptive cross-sectional design, small sample size, and applied different diagnostic criteria. Therefore, larger well-designed cohort studies that adhere to uniform recent guidelines are required to capture a full picture of these two age-related medical conditions in Nordic countries, and plan for prevention/treatment accordingly.

Poor prognosis and risk factors of nonoperative treatment hip fracture patients with end-stage renal disease

This study aims to summarize the prognosis and risk factors of nonoperative treatment patients of hip fracture with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). A total of 113 individuals of hip fracture with nonoperative treatment were retrospectively enrolled, 38 patients with ESRD were defined as the observation group, and the other 75 patients without ESRD were served as the control group. The difference in 30-day and 1-year mortality rate between the 2 groups was compared. The effects of risk factors on survival were estimated by the Cox proportional-hazards model. The survival difference was estimated by the method of Kaplan-Meier. In the subsequent subgroup analysis of the observation group, as before, the Cox proportional-hazards model and the Kaplan-Meier method were used. The 1-year mortality rate of the observation group was considerably higher than that of the control group, which was 86.84% and 32.0%, respectively (P < .005). For nonoperative treatment hip fracture subjects, ESRD, age ≥ 82, BMI (BMI) < 20, high Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) and low Barthel Index (BI) were associated with a low survival curve (P < .05). In the subsequent multivariable subgroup analyses, for nonoperative treatment hip fracture subjects with ESRD, high CCI and low BI were also the independent risk factors of mortality. For nonoperative treatment hip fracture subjects, ESRD, old age, low BMI, high CCI and low BI were the independent risk factors of mortality. For hip fracture subjects with ESRD, nonoperative treatment was associated with excess high 1-year mortality rate, especially for patients with high CCI and low BI.

Predictors of in-hospital mortality in older patients undergoing distal femur fracture surgery: A case-control study

INTRODUCTION

Geriatric fractures including distal femur and hip fractures are associated with high mortality rates. Currently, prognostic factors for in-hospital postoperative mortality are not identified. We aimed to evaluate overall in-hospital mortality and related potential risk factors in elderly patients who underwent distal femur fracture surgery.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A retrospective cohort study of patients older than 60 years, who underwent distal femur fracture surgery between January 01, 2003, and December 31, 2021, was conducted. A case-control study was conducted to compare two age-matched groups of elderly patients of equivalent ages at a 1:4 ratio. The in-hospital mortality rate was calculated and potential confounders were compared between groups.

RESULTS

A total of 170 patients were enrolled; five died during hospital stay after undergoing surgery, yielding a 2.94% in-hospital mortality rate. Twenty patients who did not die were included in the control group. Patients' demographics were similar. The case-control comparison showed that the time from injury to surgery, preoperative hemoglobin level, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), and white blood cell count were significant factors correlated with in-hospital mortality.

DISCUSSION

The overall in-hospital mortality rate was 2.94%. Significant risk factors for in-hospital mortality included a longer time from injury to surgery, lower preoperative hemoglobin level and eGFR, and higher preoperative white blood cell count. In conclusion, preoperative comprehensive geriatric assessment, including cognitive, nutritional, and frailty status, should also be considered in the elderly fracture care model.

Functional outcome in patients with hip fracture from 2008 to 2018, and the significance of hand-grip strength - a cross-sectional comparative study

BACKGROUND

Incidence of hip fracture is estimated to rise, increasing demands on healthcare. Our objective was to compare patients with hip fracture, a decade apart, regarding surgical characteristics and functional outcome in relation to morbidity. A secondary aim was to analyse postoperative hand-grip strength (HGS) in relation to walking ability 4 months postoperatively.

METHODS

This is a cross-sectional comparative study of patients with hip fracture, included in 2008 (n = 78) and 2018 (n = 76) at Örebro University Hospital. Patient-data (age, gender, morbidity, fall-circumstances, fracture, surgical characteristics, and length of stay) were collected from medical records. HGS was measured postoperatively. Data on functional outcome in terms of housing, walking ability and need of walking aids at 4 months postoperatively was collected from the Swedish Hip Fracture Register RIKSHÖFT. Statistical analyses adapted were hypothesis tests and regression analysis.

RESULTS

Patients in 2018 presented a significantly higher morbidity than patients in 2008 and there were significant differences in adapted surgical methods. Functional outcome at 4-months postoperatively was analysed by logistic regression where Cohort 2018 was associated with higher odds of independent walking ability (OR 5.7; 95%CI 1.9-17.2) and not needing any walking aids (OR 5.1; 95%CI 1.9-17.2). Postoperative HGS was higher among patients in 2018 and a multiple regression analysis revealed a significant association between HGS and walking ability at 4 months postoperatively.

CONCLUSIONS

This study supports the since previously reported development in hip fracture surgery in Sweden while also presenting that functional outcome seems to have improved despite a concomitant increase in morbidity. Results suggest an improvement in postoperative HGS, predicting walking ability at 4 months postoperatively.

Global Subjective Assessment and Mini Nutritional Assessment Short Form Better Predict Mortality Than GLIM Malnutrition Criteria in Elderly Patients with Hip Fracture

The objective of our study is to determine the prevalence of malnutrition in elderly patients with fragility hip fractures through different diagnostic tools and to determine which nutritional assessment tool better predicts mortality.

METHODS

This is a prospective study in patients over 65 years of age hospitalized with a diagnosis of hip fracture. A nutritional assessment was performed using several tools: the Mini Nutritional Assessment Short Form (MNA-SF), the Subjective Global Assessment (SGA), and the GLIM criteria. For the definition of low muscle mass, four different methods were used: hand grip strength (HGS), calf circumference (CC), anthropometry, and bioelectrical impedance (BIA). Mortality was registered at three, six and twelve months.

RESULTS

300 patients were included, 79.3% female, mean age 82.9 ± 7.1 years. The MNA-SF found 42% at risk of malnutrition, and 37.3% malnourished. Using SGA, there were 44% with moderate malnutrition, and 21.7% with severe malnutrition. In application of the GLIM criteria, 84.3%, 47%, 46%, and 72.7% of patients were malnourished when HGS, anthropometry, BIA, and CC were used, respectively. Mortality was 10%, 16.3% and 22% at 3, 6 and 12 months, respectively. In malnourished patients according to MNA-SF, mortality was 5.7 times greater [95%CI 1.3-25.4; p = 0.022] at 6 months and 3.8 times greater [95%CI 1.3-11.6; p = 0.018] at 12 months. In malnourished patients according to SGA, mortality was 3.6 times greater [95%CI 1.02-13.04; p = 0.047] at 3 months, 3.4 times greater [95%CI 1.3-8.6; p = 0.012] at 6 months and 3 times greater [95%CI 1.35-6.7; p = 0.007] at 12 months.

CONCLUSION

The prevalence of malnutrition in patients admitted for fragility hip fracture is high. The SGA and MNA-SF are postulated as adequate tools to diagnose malnutrition in these patients, with predictive value for mortality at three, six, and twelve months.

Traditional compared to modified method of disinfection before hip fracture surgery - Experiences of nursing personnel

BACKGROUND

National guidelines in Sweden recommend preoperative full-body disinfection (FBD) with 4% chlorhexidine to prevent surgical-site infection (SSI) after hip fracture surgery, a method causing patients' severe pain. Although, due to little evidence in research, orthopedic clinics in Sweden are wavering in favor of simpler methods such as local disinfection (LD) of the surgical site.

PURPOSE

The aim of this study was to describe the experiences of nursing personnel regarding the performance of preoperative LD on patients prior to hip fracture surgery after having switched from FBD.

METHODS

This study has a qualitative design where data were collected via focus-group discussions (FGDs) including in total 12 participants and analysed using content analysis.

RESULTS

Six categories were identified describing the aim: sparing the patients' physical harm, sparing the patients' psychological distress, involving the patients in the procedure, improving the working environment for personnel, preventing unethical situations and a more adequate utilization of resources.

CONCLUSIONS

All participants considered LD of the surgical site as a favorable method to FBD, witnessing of an increased wellbeing in patients and the method facilitating a better involvement of patients in the procedure, findings that are supported by other studies promoting person-centered care.

A scoping review on the GLIM criteria for malnutrition diagnosis: Understanding how and for which purpose it has been applied in studies on hospital settings

AIMS

This scoping review aimed to identify and map the literature on malnutrition diagnosis made using the GLIM criteria in hospitalized patients.

METHODS

The scoping review was conducted using the Joanna Briggs Institute's methodology. We searched PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and Web of Science (until 16 April 2022) to identify studies based on the 'population' (adults or elderly patients), 'concept' (malnutrition diagnosis by the GLIM criteria), and 'context' (hospital settings) framework. Titles/abstracts were screened, and two independent reviewers extracted data from eligible studies.

RESULTS

Ninety-six studies were eligible (35.4% from China, 30.2% involving oncological patients, and 30.5% with prospective data collection), 32 followed the two-step GLIM approach, and 50 applied all the criteria. All the studies evaluated body mass index (BMI), while 92.7% evaluated weight loss; 77.1%, muscle mass; 93.8%, inflammation; and 70.8%, energy intake. A lack of details on the methods adopted for criterion evaluation was observed in five (muscle mass evaluation) to 40 studies (energy intake evaluation). The frequency of the use of the GLIM criteria ranged from 22.2% (frequency of low BMI) to 84.7% (frequency of inflammation), and the malnutrition prevalence ranged from 0.96% to 87.9%. Less than 30% of studies aimed to assess the GLIM criterion validity, eight studies cited the guidance on validation of the GLIM criteria, and a minority implemented it.

CONCLUSIONS

This map of studies on the GLIM criteria in hospital settings demonstrated that they are applied in a heterogeneous manner, with a wide range of malnutrition prevalence. Almost 50% of the studies applied all the criteria, while one-third followed the straightforward two-step approach. The recommendations of the guidance on validation of the criteria were scarcely adhered to. The gaps that need to be explored in future studies have been highlighted.

Muscle Thickness and Echogenicity Measured by Ultrasound Could Detect Local Sarcopenia and Malnutrition in Older Patients Hospitalized for Hip Fracture

BACKGROUND

The aim of this work was to assess whether the muscle thickness and echogenicity were associated with dysphagia, malnutrition, sarcopenia, and functional capacity in acute hospital admission for a hip fracture.

METHODS

Observational study that assessed nutritional status by Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition, risk of dysphagia and sarcopenia by European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People and Barthel functional index. We measured muscle thickness and echogenicity of masseter, bicipital, and quadriceps rectus femoris (RF) and vastus intermedius (VI) by ultrasound.

RESULTS

One hundred and one patients were included in the study (29.7% sarcopenia and 43.8% malnutrition). Logistic regression models adjusted for age, sex, and body mass index showed an inverse association of the masseter thickness with both sarcopenia (OR: 0.56) and malnutrition (OR: 0.38) and quadriceps with sarcopenia (OR: 0.74). In addition, patients at high risk of dysphagia had lower masseter thickness (p: 0.0001) while patients able to self-feeding had thicker biceps (p: 0.002) and individuals with mobility on level surfaces higher thickness of biceps (p: 0.008) and quadriceps (p: 0.04).

CONCLUSION

Thickness of the masseter was associated with risk of dysphagia, biceps with the ability to self-feed, and that of the quadriceps RF-VI with mobility.

A systematic review of the malnutrition prevalence in hospitalized hip fracture patients and its associated outcomes

BACKGROUND

Malnutrition is associated with poorer outcomes in hospitalized patients. However, in hip fracture patients, the associations between malnutrition and poorer outcomes are unclear because of the use of nonestablished nutrition assessment tools in previous studies that may have some degree of misclassification bias. Therefore, this review aims to determine (1) the prevalence of malnutrition diagnosed in hospitalized hip fracture patients using established nutrition assessment tools and (2) the outcomes associated with malnutrition given some of the nonestablished nutrition assessment tools used in previous studies.

METHODS

Four electronic databases were used. Studies that used established nutrition assessment tools to diagnose malnutrition in hip fracture patients within 48 h of hospital admission were included.

RESULTS

Nine studies were included (n = 1665). Patients' mean age ranged from 79.9 to 86.1 years. Eight studies reported the frequencies of each sex, and for females, it ranged from 70% to 81.8%. The prevalence of malnutrition was 4.0% to 39.4%. Malnutrition was independently associated with (1) increased mortality and (2) functional dependence. There was also a trend towards more supported living arrangements and impaired mobility in the longer term. Malnutrition was not associated with (1) hospital length of stay, (2) hospital readmissions, and (3) incidence of complications.

CONCLUSION

The prevalence of malnutrition in hip fracture patients is highly variable and is associated with poorer outcomes. Therefore, identifying malnourished hip fracture patients using established nutrition assessment tools is important, and adequate resources can be allocated to prevent malnutrition through early screening and intervention.

Nutritional Interventions for Early Dementia

Nutrition plays a critical role in the definition of the individual's wellbeing. Nutritional interventions have been repeatedly advocated as of potential interest for preventing or delaying the cognitive decline, also in the context of neurodegenerative conditions. The idea of targeting the initial phases of dementia, when the process is theoretically still amenable of correction, via lifestyle modifications (including healthy diet or supplementation of specific micro-/macro-nutrients) is extremely appealing. In this perspective paper, we describe the most recent evidence on the topic and discuss how the nutritional assessment should be nested within a comprehensive approach to the aging person with initial signs of dementia for promoting his/her optimal management.