The association of malnutrition with falls and harm from falls in hospital inpatients: Findings from a 5-year observational study

National improvements in falls and pressure injuries in Swiss hospitals from 2011 to 2022: A secondary data analysis of national quality monitoring data

INTRODUCTION

National quality monitoring in healthcare and, in particular, the (transparent) comparison of results can trigger improvements at the structural and procedural levels and, thus, improve the outcome. In Switzerland, this kind of monitoring was conducted between 2011 and 2022 (except 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic) for falls and pressure injuries in the hospital setting. The aim of this study was to examine the improvements in the quality of care for falls and pressure injuries in Swiss hospitals during the monitoring period.

METHOD

A secondary data analysis was conducted of the Swiss national quality monitoring data on falls and pressure injuries based on a multicenter cross-sectional design. Descriptive data analysis was performed.

RESULTS

The hospital-acquired pressure injury prevalence rate varied between 3.6% and 5.8%, and the in-hospital fall rate was between 3.0% and 4.6%. The prevalence rates showed their greatest decrease after the first monitoring, with only a slight decrease/stagnation observed thereafter. An increase in prevalence rates was revealed after the two-year monitoring break due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The structural conditions improved (e.g., implementation of guidelines) and more processes were implemented at the patient level (e.g., use of preventive measures) over the monitoring period. At the same time, patients tended to be older, more multimorbid, and more at risk of pressure injuries.

CONCLUSION

Considering the change in the patient population (higher risk) and the findings on the structure and process indicators, the improvement in quality of care is likely to be more pronounced than the prevalence rates suggest.

Examining frailty phenotypes of community-dwelling older adults in Taiwan using the falls risk for older people in the community - Taiwan version (Tw-FROP-Com)

BACKGROUND

Falls are the second leading cause of accidental injury-related deaths among Taiwanese adults aged 65 and older. This study examined the association between Fried frailty phenotypes and fall risk in this population.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A cross-sectional study was conducted in Keelung City with 375 participants from an Elderly Fall Prevention Program. Frailty was assessed using the modified Fried criteria: weakness, slowness, exhaustion, low physical activity, and unintentional weight loss. Participants with 0-2 criteria were classified as non-frail, and those with 3 or more as frail. Fall risk was evaluated using the Taiwan version of the Falls Risk for Older People in the Community (Tw-FROP-Com), a 28-item tool scoring 0-60 across 13 risk factors.

RESULTS

Participants had a mean age of 75.4 ± 6.8 years; 76.0% were female, 18.7% were frail, and 32.7% had fallen in the past year. Those with a fall history had higher rates of weakness (56.7%), slowness (49.6%), and frailty (26.1%). Regression analysis showed that weakness (β = 0.64), slowness (β = 0.21), exhaustion (β = 1.28), unintentional weight loss (β = 3.99), and low physical activity (β = 0.88) were significantly associated with increased fall risk. Frailty explained over 50% of fall risk variance, with unintentional weight loss as the strongest predictor.

CONCLUSION

Unintentional weight loss is the most significant predictor of fall risk among frailty traits. Individual frailty components better predict fall risk than composite frailty measures.

Characteristics of patients with very high fracture risk in a community-dwelling geriatric cohort

OBJECTIVE

Bone anabolic treatment has been shown to be superior to oral bisphosphonates, especially in osteoporosis patients with a very high fracture-risk. The current German osteoporosis guideline classifies the very high 3-year fracture-risk based upon a novel fracture-risk model. As age is a severe risk-factor, we examined the distribution and associations to geriatric assessment parameters of the very high-risk group in a well-characterized cohort of community-dwelling geriatric patients.

METHODS

Analyses were based on 166 patients (mean age 82 ± 6 years) taken from MUSAR (MUnich SArcopenia Registry). Fracture-risk was calculated as described in the current German guideline. Thereupon, patients were allocated to the low-/moderate (<5 %), high- (5-10 %) or very high-risk group (>10 %). Associations of geriatric assessment parameters with the group allocation to the fracture-risk group were evaluated by covariate-adjusted linear regression analysis.

RESULTS

>80 % of the study population were at an increased fracture-risk. Besides, >50 % were allocated to the very high-risk group. Patients in the very high-risk group showed limitations in all physical performance tests (short physical performance battery (SPPB), gaitspeed, handgrip strength and chair rise test). Also, polypharmacy and a risk for malnutrition (from mini nutritional assessment short form (MNA-SF)), were present. All parameters showed significant associations with group allocation to very high-risk group.

CONCLUSION

Most of the geriatric patients are at a very high-risk for osteoporotic fractures. Also, this group presented several limitations in the comprehensive geriatric assessment highlighting the vulnerability of this group. Clinicians need to reinforce fracture-risk assessment and familiarize with treatment options.

Investigating the associations between a dual diagnosis of malnutrition and obesity and length of stay, readmissions, and 12-month mortality in patients aged >65 yrs admitted to hospital - A retrospective observational single-centre study

OBJECTIVE

Despite the protective effect of obesity on mortality in older patients, the dual diagnosis of obesity and malnutrition may worsen outcomes. This study aimed to investigate whether obese patients aged 65 years and over with a diagnosis of malnutrition have different outcomes to obese, non-malnourished peers.

METHODS

This retrospective study of inpatients included 9 years of data from annual Malnutrition Audits (2011-2019). Obesity was defined as Body Mass Index (BMI) > 30 kg/m2; malnutrition was defined by Subjective Global Assessment (SGA) category B or C. Logistic regression analyses were used to consider the association between a concurrent diagnosis of malnutrition and obesity and outcomes including: 12-month mortality, prolonged length of stay (defined as >50th centile, very prolonged as >75th centile) and hospital readmission within 12 months.

RESULTS

326 obese patients aged 65 years and over were included. Median patient age was 76.1 years, with 51.8 % female. 37 patients (11 %) were malnourished and obese, with a median BMI of 32.9 kg/m2. Malnutrition increased the odds of prolonged length of stay (OR:3.30, 95 % CI 1.58-6.91, p = 0.002) and very prolonged length of stay (OR: 4.17, 95 % CI 1.89-9.21, p = <0.001), as well as increased 12-month mortality (OR: 2.89, 95 % CI 1.40-5.96, p = 0.004). Malnutrition was not associated with increased hospital presentations within 12 months (p = 0.531).

CONCLUSION

Older patients with a dual diagnosis of obesity and malnutrition have worse outcomes than their obese but non-malnourished peers. The presence of obesity should not preclude the assessment of nutritional status in older patients.

A High Fall Risk Patient Perspective-Reducing Safety Challenges in an Acute Care Hospital

AIMS

This study examined patient perspectives of the factors that contributed to their falls in a medical ward and how patient understanding of the implemented fall prevention strategies influenced their perceptions of their fall risk.

DESIGN

An exploratory sequential mixed methods design.

METHODS

Quantitative data were obtained from the RiskMan fall database and auditing of the Patient-Centred Care Plan to identify patients who experienced a fall on the ward. From this cohort, seven inpatients were interviewed using a structured interview questionnaire to explore their perceptions of why they fell. Other complexities of fall management in the ward were discussed, including the assessment and identification of high fall risk patients and the effectiveness of patient education.

RESULTS

Five contributing factors were seen to have led to inpatient falls in the medical ward: (1) there seems to be little, if any, patient engagement with the advice in the fall prevention brochure distributed on admission; (2) insufficient patient awareness of the various fall prevention strategies; (3) inadequate bathroom supervision provided by nurses; (4) patient call bells not answered promptly, which encouraged patients engaging in risk-taking behaviour and (5) a breakdown in communication between nursing staff and patients. The study identified several factors that should be included in fall administrative data, such as the duration of call-bell response, the quality of nurse-patient communication and the determinants influencing patient response to fall prevention strategies. The study findings offer valuable insights to enhance the efficacy and implementation of fall prevention strategies to improve patient outcomes.

PATIENT CONTRIBUTION

Patients who had experienced a fall during their current hospital admission were interviewed. For each patient, the interview was a communication medium to explore the factors surrounding the occurrence of their fall and their knowledge of their fall risk.

A novel multistep approach to standardize the reported risk factors for in-hospital falls: a proof-of-concept study

Background

Uncertainty and inconsistency in terminology regarding the risk factors (RFs) for in-hospital falls are present in the literature.

Objective

(1) To perform a literature review to identify the fall RFs among hospitalized adults; (2) to link the found RFs to the corresponding categories of international health classifications to reduce the heterogeneity of their definitions; (3) to perform a meta-analysis on the risk categories to identify the significant RFs; (4) to refine the final list of significant categories to avoid redundancies.

Methods

Four databases were investigated. We included observational studies assessing patients who had experienced in-hospital falls. Two independent reviewers performed the inclusion and extrapolation process and evaluated the methodological quality of the included studies. RFs were grouped into categories according to three health classifications (ICF, ICD-10, and ATC). Meta-analyses were performed to obtain an overall pooled odds ratio for each RF. Finally, protective RFs or redundant RFs across different classifications were excluded.

Results

Thirty-six articles were included in the meta-analysis. One thousand one hundred and eleven RFs were identified; 616 were linked to ICF classification, 450 to ICD-10, and 260 to ATC. The meta-analyses and subsequent refinement of the categories yielded 53 significant RFs. Overall, the initial number of RFs was reduced by about 21 times.

Conclusion

We identified 53 significant RF categories for in-hospital falls. These results provide proof of concept of the feasibility and validity of the proposed methodology. The list of significant RFs can be used as a template to build more accurate measurement instruments to predict in-hospital falls.

Development and evaluation of a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) for healthcare professionals on malnutrition in older adults

BACKGROUND

Education about malnutrition in older adults is often lacking in the curricula of healthcare professionals. Massive open online courses (MOOCs) are an innovative form of education that can potentially improve the knowledge of healthcare professionals.

OBJECTIVES

(1) to describe the development of a MOOC on malnutrition in older adults and (2) to evaluate the MOOC on the basis of knowledge gained.

DESIGN

The MOOC was developed by following a structured approach. For the evaluation of the MOOC, a cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted.

PARTICIPANTS

Overall, 1288 nurses, dietitians, medical doctors and other healthcare professionals participated in the evaluation study.

METHODS

After performing a comprehensive literature review, two dietitians specialised in geriatrics developed a summary of potentially important content of the MOOC. Nine European malnutrition experts from different professional areas were then asked to contribute their expertise. The specific MOOC content was developed based on the recent literature and evidence-based guidelines. For the evaluation of the MOOC, a questionnaire with 41 questions was developed. Results were analysed using descriptive statistics and chi-square tests.

RESULTS

The final MOOC consists of five modules with 15 learning videos and supplementary material. The percentage of persons with good malnutrition knowledge increased from 76.1 % to 89.9 % (p < 0.001), while the percentage of persons with fair or little malnutrition knowledge decreased (p < 0.001). The course significantly improved the participants' knowledge of specific malnutrition topics, namely, methods and instruments to determine the nutritional status of older people, interventions to improve oral intake, medical nutrition and multidisciplinary cooperation (p < 0.001). Overall, 91.5 % of the participants rated the quality of the course as very good or good.

CONCLUSION

MOOCs may be an effective tool that can be used to improve knowledge in healthcare professionals. This provides new opportunities for successful multidisciplinary malnutrition management in clinical practice.

The risk of falls among the aging population: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Aim

This study aims to clarify the risk factors for falls to prevent severe consequences in older adults.

Methods

We searched the PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and Google Scholar databases using the terms "risk factors" OR "predicting factors" OR "predictor" AND "fall" OR "drop" to identify all relevant studies and compare their results. The study participants were divided into two groups, the "fall group" and the "control group", and differences in demographic characteristics, lifestyles, and comorbidities were compared.

Results

We included 34 articles in the analysis and analyzed 22 factors. Older age, lower education level, polypharmacy, malnutrition, living alone, living in an urban area, smoking, and alcohol consumption increased the risk of falls in the aging population. Additionally, comorbidities such as cardiac disease, hypertension, diabetes, stroke, frailty, previous history of falls, depression, Parkinson's disease, and pain increased the risk of falls.

Conclusion

Demographic characteristics, comorbidities, and lifestyle factors can influence the risk of falls and should be taken into consideration.

Malnutrition in Older Adults—Effect on Falls and Fractures: A Narrative Review

Malnutrition in older adults impacts health status, increased mortality, and morbidity. Malnutrition may increase the development of geriatric syndromes and contribute to a higher prevalence of falls and osteoporotic fractures that lead to loss of independence and an increased rate of institutionalization. The role of malnutrition in the pathogenesis of other geriatric syndromes seems to be well established. However, the data concerning nutritional interventions are confounding. Moreover, long-term undernutrition seems to be one of the factors that strongly influences the efficacy of interventions. This review outlines the current literature on this topic, and aims to guide physicians to make proper decisions to prevent the vicious cycle of falls, fractures, and their negative outcomes in patients with malnutrition.

Malnutrition in Hospitalized Old Patients: Screening and Diagnosis, Clinical Outcomes, and Management

Malnutrition in hospitalized patients heavily affects several clinical outcomes. The prevalence of malnutrition increases with age, comorbidities, and intensity of care in up to 90% of old populations. However, malnutrition frequently remains underdiagnosed and undertreated in the hospital. Thus, an accurate screening to identify patients at risk of malnutrition or malnourishment is determinant to elaborate a personal nutritional intervention. Several definitions of malnutrition were proposed in the last years, affecting the real frequency of nutritional disorders and the timing of intervention. Diagnosis of malnutrition needs a complete nutritional assessment, which is often challenging to perform during a hospital stay. For this purpose, various screening tools were proposed, allowing patients to be stratified according to the risk of malnutrition. The present review aims to summarize the actual evidence in terms of diagnosis, association with clinical outcomes, and management of malnutrition in a hospital setting.

Model of nutritional care in older adults: improving the identification and management of malnutrition using the Mini Nutritional Assessment-Short Form (MNA®-SF) in general practice

Despite clinical guidelines recommending routine nutrition screening, malnutrition in community-living older adults remains under-recognised. This study evaluated the uptake of a model of nutritional care in older adults designed to improve the identification and management of malnutrition. A pragmatic quasi-experimental study was conducted in eight general practices in regional New South Wales between January 2017 and June 2018. Study participants comprised GPs and practice nurses who participated in a training event on the identification and management of malnutrition and patients (aged >65 years) attending the practices recruited to the study. Nutritional screening was conducted using the Mini Nutritional Assessment-Short Form. The specific objectives of the study were to: (1) evaluate the effects of the intervention on knowledge, attitudes and practices of staff related to malnutrition screening using questionnaires and in-depth interviews; and (2) identify patients' experiences and outcome measures following malnutrition screening through self-completed surveys. Across the eight practices, 11 healthcare professionals completed in-depth interviews. Post-training knowledge surveys (n = 25) identified that knowledge increased in 96% of staff (P < 0.001). Fifty-five older adults who were screened (two malnourished, 10 'at risk of malnutrition') reported an increased awareness of risk factors for malnutrition. This study provides proof-of-concept that a model of care that includes routine malnutrition screening and accompanying pathways for management is acceptable to general practice staff and has promising effects on patient outcomes. However, the low number of patients screened suggests that additional processes are required to improve feasibility (e.g. incorporation into Medicare-funded nurse-led consultations such as the 75+ Health Assessment).

The Relationship of Malnutrition With Cognitive Function in the Older Chinese Population: Evidence From the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey Study

Background and Objective: Few studies have explored the relationship between malnutrition measured by the Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index (GNRI) and cognitive performance. This study aimed to investigate the association of malnutrition with cognitive function in the Chinese population.

Methods: It was a prospective longitudinal study and used three waves of the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS) data in 2011–2012, 2014, and 2017–2018. Participants aged 60 years or older without mental illness and cerebrovascular diseases were eligible. The GNRI was used to assess nutritional status as follows: normal nutrition (a GNRI > 98), mild malnutrition (92 ≤ a GNRI ≤ 98), and moderate-to-severe malnutrition (a GNRI < 92). Cognitive performance was evaluated by the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores. The relationship between the GNRI and cognitive function was analyzed using a linear mixed-effects model.

Results: A total of 1,632 subjects were analyzed, including 741 males and 891 females. Of these, 65.0, 19.4, and 15.6% of subjects were at normal nutritional status, mild, and moderate-to-severe malnutrition, respectively. After adjusting for potential confounders, participants under mild and moderate-to-severe malnutrition status have a lower MMSE score [β (95% CI): –0.95 (–1.60, –0.25) and –1.39 (–2.21, –0.57), respectively], compared with those having normal nutrition. Also, there was a linear trend in the association of malnutrition risk with cognitive function in the total population [β (95% CI): –0.74 (–1.13, –0.35)]. However, a significant association of malnutrition with cognitive function was observed only among illiterate females aged above 90 years.

Conclusion: This study suggested that there was a significant relationship between the GNRI and cognitive function in the Chinese elderly. Furthermore, subjects with more serious malnutrition have a worse cognitive function, especially in the oldest illiterate females. Clinicians should put more emphasis on assessing the nutritional and cognitive status of the elderly to timely intervene and prevent cognitive impairment.

Factors associated with nutrition risk among community-dwelling older adults in Thailand

This study was to investigate socio-demographic, chronic conditions and health factors associated with nutrition risk among Thai community-dwelling older adults. This was a cross-sectional study, involving 330 participants aged ≥ 60 years living in low-income suburban Chiang Mai, Northern Thailand. Of the 330 participants, 54.8% were at nutritional risk based on the Mini Nutritional Assessment. Multivariate analysis indicated factors significantly associated with nutritional risk were: aged ≥80 years (OR:8.59, 95% CI = 2.94-25.11), low income (OR: 2.35, 95% CI = 1.15-4.78), living alone (OR: 2.02, 95% CI = 0.20-0.78), moderate to severe pain (OR: 5.88, 95% CI = 2.30-15.02), dyslipidemia (OR: 5.12, 95% CI = 2.23-11.77), osteoarthritis (OR: 2.49, 95% CI = 1.14-5.48), poor physical performance (OR: 1.49, 95% CI = 1.70-3.15), and ≥1 fall in the previous year (OR: 2.22, 95% CI = 1.21-4.07). Results point to the need for multifactorial interventions to reduce risk for geriatric nutrition problems. Further studies are needed to determine effective solutions to the problem of malnutrition among older adults.

Factors associated with fracture after stroke and TIA: a long-term follow-up

We assessed the long-term incidence of fractures after stroke and TIA and analyzed associated factors. The fracture incidence increases with age and is higher in stroke than in TIA. Dementia is associated with fractures after both. Our results indicate tailored measures are necessary for preventing fractures after stroke or TIA.

INTRODUCTION

In the present study, we aimed to assess the long-term incidence of fractures and analyze associated factors after stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA).

METHODS

The current cohort study included patients who had received an initial ischemic stroke or TIA diagnosis documented anonymously in the Disease Analyzer database (IQVIA) between 2000 and 2016 by physicians in 1262 general practices in Germany. Univariate Cox and multivariate regression models were carried out.

RESULTS

Three groups (stroke, TIA, no stroke/TIA), each with 12,265 individuals, were selected (mean age 67.3 years, 48.1% female). A fracture was diagnosed in 12.9% of stroke patients and in 11.4% of TIA patients. Among male stroke patients, 11.1% had a fracture (15.4% among female stroke patients). The hazard ratio (HR) for fractures after stroke was 1.26 (CI: 1.15-1.39) and for fractures after TIA, it was 1.14 (CI: 1.03-1.25). In female stroke patients, the HR for fractures was 1.32 (CI: 1.15-1.60), while in males, it was 1.20 (CI: 1.03-1.39). Among TIA patients, females had an elevated HR for fractures (HR: 1.21; CI: 1.06-1.37). In individuals aged ≥ 80 years, an increased risk for fractures was only detected among TIA patients (HR: 1.26; CI: 1.05-1.51). Dementia and non-opioid analgesic therapy were positively associated with fracture after both stroke and TIA.

CONCLUSION

Stroke was positively associated with fracture in patients < 80 years, while TIA was positively associated with fracture in patients ≥ 80 years and females. Dementia and analgesic therapy were also associated with fracture after either stroke or TIA.

Malnutrition at Admission Predicts In-Hospital Falls in Hospitalized Older Adults

Malnutrition leads to poor prognoses, including a predisposition to falls. Few studies have investigated the relationship between malnutrition and falls during hospitalization. This study aimed to determine malnutrition’s association with falls during hospitalization. A retrospective observational study was conducted. Patients aged ≥65 years that were admitted to and discharged from a university hospital between April 2018 and March 2019 were examined. Patients with independent basic activities of daily living were included. Diagnosis of malnutrition was based on the European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism (ESPEN) criteria at admission. Disease information such as the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) and reasons for hospitalization were reviewed. Kaplan–Meier curve and multivariate Cox regression analyses were performed. Data from 6081 patients (mean age: 74.4 ± 6.1 years; males: 58.1%) were analyzed. The mean CCI was 2.3 ± 2.8 points. Malnutrition was detected in 668 (11.0%) and falls occurred in 55 (0.9%) patients. Malnourished patients experienced a higher fall rate than those without malnutrition (2.4% vs. 0.7%, log-rank test p < 0.001). In multivariate analysis, malnutrition had the highest hazard ratio for falls among covariates (hazard ratio 2.78, 95% confidence interval 1.51–5.00, p = 0.001). In conclusion, malnutrition at the time of admission to hospital predicts in-hospital falls.