Objective To explore the impact of community healthcare workers’ (CHWs) knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) on the influenza vaccination among elderly people. Methods By means of simple random sampling, 1 residential quarter of each communities, 2 communities of each districts, 5 districts of Chengdu city were randomly selected, and the elderly equal to or more than 60-year-old were on-site investigated. Meanwhile, the questionnaire survey was conducted among healthcare workers in the selected communities. Results There were 4 KAP factors played a positive role in influenza vaccination among elderly people: CHWs’ affirmation of the effectiveness of influenza vaccine, explicitly knowing the focus groups for influenza vaccination, recommendation of vaccination in flu season when the elderly visits, and participation in flu-related education activities. When the accuracy rate of each factor got improved by 1%, the influenza vaccination rate would improve by 2.747%, 1.299%, 0.864%, 0.602%, respectively. Conclusion The knowledge, attitude and practice of HCWs have impacts on the influenza vaccination rates of elderly people. They are significant to improve the influenza vaccination rates of the elderly.
Objective To provide baseline date for further research by retrospectively investigating the disease constitution of over-60-year old patients in the West China Hospital of Sichuan University in 2011. Methods The information of over-60-year old outpatients was extracted from HIS and their diagnoses were classified by ICD-10. The data of single disease among top 3 categories of diseases were rearranged and analyzed by Excel software. Results The total of over-60-year old outpatients was 895 123 person-time in 2011, accounting for 19.65%, including 716 826 person-time in specialist outpatient clinics. The specialist diagnoses of 683 491 person-time could be classified by ICD-10, accounting for 95.35% of specialist outpatients. The top 12 diseases were neoplasm, circulatory, digestive, factors influencing health status and contacting with health services, respiratory, musculoskeletal system and connective tissues, nervous, eyes, symptoms/signs and abnormal clinical and laboratory findings, non-classified, mental and behavioral disorders, endocrine, and genitourinary system diseases, and the cumulative constituent ratio was 92.96%. The main pathogenic sites of neoplasm were bronchus and lung (21.98%), esophagus (8.66%), stomach (8.10%), rectum (7.37%), prostate (5.86%), and liver and intrahepatic bile ducts (5.55%), with a cumulative constituent ratio of 57.72%. The main disease burden in circulatory system was hypertension (39.50%), chronic ischaemic heart disease (11.17%), and cerebral infarction (9.70%), and the cumulative constituent ratio was 60.38%. While the main disease burden in digestive system was gastritis and duodenitis (24.98%), other diseases of digestive system (9.26%), and other diseases of liver (8.90%), and the cumulative constituent ratio was 43.13%. There were more female than male among the over-60-year old outpatients (50.67% vs. 49.33%), and male was higher than female only in the incidence of neoplasm, respiratory, factors influencing health status and contacting with health services, and genitourinary system diseases. The disease constitution ratio of 60-69 years old patients was 58.21%. The top 3 neoplasm were the malignant tumors in digestive (38.20%), respiratory and intrathoracic organs (24.70%), and lymphoid, haematopoietic and related tissue (11.97%), with a cumulative constituent ratio of 74.87%. Conclusion The top 3 disease burden of over-60-year old outpatients in West China Hospital were neoplasm, circulatory and digestive diseases, which reflects the trend and law of treatment demands of old patients. It needs to deeply analyze the frequency and flow pattern of patients, and to provide evidence for preventing and treating geriatric diseases.
Objective To objectively evaluate the effectiveness of Tai Chi in fall prevention and balance function in the elderly. Methods Databases such as PubMed, Web of Science, The Cochrane Library (Issue 8, 2012), EMbase, CBM, CNKI, VIP and WanFang Data were electronically searched to collect the randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published from 2000 to 2012, and the relevant references of the included articles were also manually searched. According to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, the literature was screened, the data were extracted and the methodological quality of the included studies was assessed. Then meta-analyses were performed by using RevMan 5.1 software. Results A total of 6 RCTs involving 2 796 participants were included. The results of meta-analyses showed that the Tai Chi group was superior to the control group in decrease of the incidence rate of fall (RR=0.82, 95%CI 0.73 to 0.92, P=0.000 6), Timed Up and Go Test (MD=0.71, 95%CI 0.29 to 1.12, P=0.000 9), Functional Reach Test (MD=0.78, 95%CI 0.33 to 1.23, P=0.000 7) and Berger Balance Scale (MD=2.45, 95%CI 1.47 to 3.43, Plt;0.000 01), and there were statistical differences. Conclusion Tai Chi can effectively reduce the risk of fall for the elderly and improve their balance function.
Objective To investigate disease constitution of elderly inpatient in the Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University in Beijing in 2011, so as to provide baseline data for further study. Methods Elderly (patients no less than 60 years old) inpatients’ records in the Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University in 2011 were collected. Based on all the diagnosis on hospital discharge records, the diseases were standardized and classified according to the International Classification of Disease, 10th Edition (ICD-10). Data (including general information of the inpatients, all discharge diagnosis, and the distribution of disease type, age and sex) were analyzed through descriptive analysis using Microsoft Excel 2007 software. SPSS 17.0 software was performed for hypothesis test. Results a) The total numbers of elderly inpatients were 13 807 in 2011, accounting for 39.79% of all the inpatients. Males were more than females (male: female=1.26 to 1). The average kind of disease each patient was diagnosed with was 4.41, ranging from 1 to 11. b) The disease spectrum of patients with one disease was nervous system diseases, neoplasms, and digestive system diseases. The primary and secondary diseases of patients with two diseases were mostly circulatory system diseases. c) All the diagnosis included 18 categories, the top 7 were circulatory system diseases, endocrine, nutritional and metabolic diseases, digestive system diseases, respiratory system diseases, and nervous system diseases, accounting for 83.4% of all the diagnosis. The primary diagnosis included 18 categories, the top 5 were circulatory system diseases, neoplasms, digestive system diseases, respiratory system diseases, and nervous system diseases, accounting for 68.6% of all the elderly inpatients. d) In the circulatory system diseases, the top 5 diseases were cerebral infarction, occlusion and stenosis of precerebral arteries, not resulting in cerebral infarction, angina pectoris, acute myocardial infarction, atherosclerosis, chronic ischaemic heart disease, accounting for 69.8% of all the circulatory system diseases patients. Diseases in different age and gender group were cerebral infarction, angina, acute myocardial infarction, and chronic ischemic heart disease (Plt;0.05). Conclusion The disease constitution of the Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University is complex, and the primary diagnosis is mainly circulatory system diseases. It can be concluded that in the following studies attention should be paid to drug utilization of circulatory system diseases, so as to provide evidence for making the China specific potentially inappropriate medicine list and disease prevention for the elderly.
Objective To systematically review the effectiveness and safety of erlotinib for the elderly with Non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods Databases including The Cochrane Library, PubMed, EMbase, CBM, VIP, CNKI and WanFang Data were electronically searched for relevant randomized controlled trails (RCTs). Two reviewers independently screened literature according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, extracted data, and assessed the methodological quality. Then, meta-analysis was performed using RevMan 5.0 software. Results Totally 5 studies were included. The results of meta-analysis showed that, the objective response rate and stable disease rate was similar between the erlotinib group and the control group with no significant difference (RR=0.99, 95%CI 0.34 to 2.93, P=0.99; RR=1.17, 95%CI 0.95 to 1.43, P=0.14). The incidences of Grade Ⅲ-Ⅳ neutropenia and thrombocytopenia were lower in the erlotinib group than those in the control group (OR=0.12, 95%CI 0.03 to 0.52, P=0.005; OR=0.19, 95%CI 0.04 to 0.91, P=0.04); and the incidences of nausea and vomiting as wel as liver impairments were alike between the two groups (OR=0.93, 95%CI 0.12 to 7.08, P=0.95; OR=0.80, 95%CI 0.24 to 2.68, P=0.71); the incidences of diarrhea and skin rashes in the erlotinib group were higher (OR=5.96, 95%CI 1.28 to 27.88, P=0.02; OR=6.77, 95%CI 1.52 to 30.10, P=0.01). Conclusion Current evidence shows that, erlotinib is effective and safe in treating the elderly with NSCLC with better effects and no serious adverse reaction. However, due to the limited quantity and quality of the included studies, more high quality studies with large sample size and long-term follow-up are still needed to verify the above conclusion.
Objective To investigate the use of oral anti-diabetic drugs and sugar blood control situation in advanced aged patient with diabetic mellitus in a community health centre in order to provide references for rational drug use. Methods A cross-sectional survey about oral anti-diabetic drugs was carried out in senile diabetic patients who visited the community health centre and established complete health documents voluntarily from February 2012 to February 2013. Results There were 176 cases of advanced aged patients with type 2 diabetic mellitus, of which, 107 cases were female and 69 cases were male, whose age ranged from 80 to 94. Among 176 cases, there were 107 (60.80%) patients with type 2 diabetic mellitus combined with hypertension, chronic heart diseases, and stoke; 155 had oral anti-diabetic drugs (88.06%). 67.19% of patients who took one oral anti-diabetic drug chose α-glycosidase inhibitors, followed by sulfonylurea. 53.73% of patients who received combination therapy chose glycosidase inhibitors and sulfonylurea. For the treatment of anti-diabetic drugs, 73.68% of patients met the criteria (fasting blood sugar: no more than 8.0 mmol/L), with control rates of 73.56% for α-glycosidase inhibitors and 72.58% for sulfonylurea. More than half of the patients could not be evaluated for their glycosylated hemoglobin levels were not tested. Conclusion Doctors working in community health centres should choose oral anti-diabetic drugs according to patients’ own conditions when treating advanced aged patients with diabetic mellitus in order to avoid adverse reaction such as hypoglycemia. Glycosidase inhibitors are the mostly used drug in the community health centre because it is safe with less adverse reaction when used in senile people and it could ideally control their blood sugara.
Objective To determine whether statins has some effects on the treatment of cardio-cerebral vascular diseases or hyperlipdemia increases bone mineral density （BMD）. Methods One hundred and sixty-two patients aged over 60 were identified in the outpatient-department of Geriatrics of West China Hospital from Jan. 1998 to Aug. 2003. Seventy cases were exposed to statins with follow-up for 5 years. BMD of the spine, femoral neck, femoral wards triangle and femoral trochanter was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. The multiple regression analysis was used to exclude potential confounders, e.g. age, BMI, comorbidity,etc. Results Those elderly patients with a history of taking statins had higher BMD, such as femoral neck with t =-2. 466 （P =0. 015）, femoral wards triangle with t =-2. 483 （P = 0. 014 ）and femoral trochanter with t =-2. 743 （P =0. 007 ）than the control elderly at the end of follow-up. Conclusions It has been found that HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors （statins ） may prevent bone loss in elderly patients by increasing BMD. Further prospective studies of statins are needed to confirm these observatioris.
Objective To assess the effectiveness of psychotherapy for depression in older patients. Methods We searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (1990 to August 2007), MEDLINE (1966 to August 2007), EMbase (1980 to August 2007), and CMB-disk (1990 to August 2007) to collect randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in which psychotherapy was used to treat depression in older patients. We screened the retrieved studies according to the predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria, evaluated the quality of included studies, and performed meta-analyses by using The Cochrane Collaboration’s RevMan 4.2 software. Results Ten RCTs were included. Compared with placebo, psychotherapy was more effective in decreasing depression score (SMD 0.63, 95%CI – 0.84 to – 0.42). Subgroup analysis showed that cognitive-behavioral therapy, reminiscence therapy, and general psychological therapy were more effective than placebo (SMD – 0.70, 95%CI – 1.12 to – 0.27; SMD – 0.54, 95%CI – 0.81 to – 0.26; SMD – 0.84, 95%CI – 1.34 to – 0.34, respectively). However, psychotherapy as an adjunct treatment could not significantly improve the effectiveness of antidepressant medication (SMD – 0.35, 95%CI – 0.74 to 0.05). There was no significant difference between cognitive-behavioral therapy and reminiscence therapy in improving depression symptoms (SMD 0.13, 95%CI – 0.30 to 0.56). The dropout rate was similar between patients treated with or without psychotherapy (RR 1.03, 95%CI 0.55 to 1.94). Conclusion Various kinds of psychotherapy are effective for depression in older patients. But psychotherapy as an adjunct treatment could not significantly improve the effectiveness of antidepressant medication.
Objective To investigate and assess the current status of communication between medical students and old patients so as to improve the communication skills of medical students. Methods A total of 90 medical students were surveyed by a questionnaire. Data analysis was performed with SPSS 13.0 software. Results Medical students have recognized the importance of communication with patients, but they rarely had active communication behaviors. In addition, their knowledge of communication skills was utterly inadequate. Conclusion It is necessary to strengthen the training of communication skills among medical students.