Regenstrief Institute

About: Regenstrief Institute is a nonprofit organization based out in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Health care & Population. The organization has 742 authors who have published 2042 publications receiving 96966 citations.

The prognosis of hyponatremia at hospital admission

Abstract: To assess the risk of mortality in patients with hyponatremia at the time of hospital admission, the authors studied data for 13,979 patients admitted over a 46-month period. Of the 763 (4%) admitted with hyponatremia, 757 (99%) were matched by age, gender, and admitting date with normonatremic control patients. Hyponatremic patients were more than seven times as likely to die in the hospital than the control patients, and they were more than twice as likely to die after discharge (p less than 0.0001 for both). This relationship with in- and outpatient mortality held when controlling for the diagnoses found more often in the hyponatremic patients. Hyponatremia appears to be an indicator of increased risk of death regardless of the disease with which it is associated.

Pharmacological Management of Delirium in Hospitalized Adults – A Systematic Evidence Review

Abstract: BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Despite the significant burden of delirium among hospitalized adults, there is no approved pharmacologic intervention for delirium. This systematic review evaluates the efficacy and safety of pharmacologic interventions targeting either prevention or management of delirium.

A good clinician and a caring person: longitudinal faculty development and the enhancement of the human dimensions of care.

Abstract: PurposeTo successfully design and implement longitudinal faculty development programs at five medical schools, and to determine whether faculty participants were perceived to be more effective humanistic teachers.MethodPromising teachers were chosen from volunteers to participate in groups a

Sex differences in pain and pain-related disability among primary care patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain

Abstract: Background. Although previous research suggests women report more severe pain than men, evidence for sex-related differences in pain-related disability is conflicting. Also, the impact of psychological factors on sex differences in disability is uncertain. Objective. The purpose of this study is to assess sex differences in pain-related disability and evaluate whether they are accounted for by psychological factors. Methods. Analysis of baseline data from the Stepped Care for Affective disorders and Musculoskeletal Pain study. Participants included 241 male and 249 female primary care patients with moderately severe persistent pain of the back, hip, or knee. Multivariable log-linear models were used to determine the association between sex and pain-related disability and whether sex differences persisted after adjustment for psychiatric comorbidity and potential psychological mediators. Results. Compared with men, women reported worse pain intensity, greater pain-related interference with function, and more disability days due to pain. They also had worse depression, anxiety, and self-efficacy. Sex differences in pain interference with function and pain disability days remained significant in multivariable models. Depression, poor self-efficacy, and fear of reinjury were independently associated with disability in both men and women. Conclusions. Women report greater pain-related disability than do men, even after controlling for depression, anxiety, and other psychological factors. Pain management strategies that target functional disability may be particularly important in the treatment of women with pain.

Impact and recognition of cognitive impairment among hospitalized elders

Abstract: In 2001, approximately 12.6 million individuals aged 65 and older were discharged from American hospitals with an average length of stay of 5.8 days1 and up to 66% of them suffered from cognitive impairment (CI)2–20. CI in hospitalized older adults includes a variety of disorders ranging from mild cognitive deficit, delirium, to full-blown dementia. Dementia is a syndrome of decline in memory plus at least one other cognitive domain, such as language, visuo-spatial, or executive function sufficient to interfere with social or occupational functioning in an alert person21. Delirium is a disturbance of consciousness with reduced ability to focus, sustain, or shift attention that occurs over a short period of time and tends to fluctuate over the course of the day22. Mild cognitive impairment without dementia is defined as the presence of a cognitive deficit in the absence of delirium that does not affect functional performance23. Hospitalized older adults with CI are vulnerable to hospital complications including delirium, physical restraints, urinary catheters, and tethers2,3,24–35. The management of their medical or surgical illnesses requires avoiding certain medications with anticholinergic activities that might worsen cognition36. Furthermore, CI may delay diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, demand more time for informed-consent related issues, and result in difficulty in adherence to medical recommendations37,38. The special needs of hospitalized older adults with delirium and dementia has been shown to increase demands on nursing staff, risk of post-discharge institutionalization, length of stay and health care costs3–10,27,39–48. We wanted to look specifically at CI because it often goes undetected49–51 and can have a great impact on the hospital course of elders. Screening for CI among hospitalized older adults has been considered to have potential benefit in hospital care of older adults52. Screening may lead to early detection by uncovering subtle symptoms not yet apparent to families or other caregivers who know the patient well but do not notice small declines or changes in day-to-day functioning. Early recognition of CI may lead to early treatment and subsequently may delay progression of cognitive decline improve health outcomes. Screening may enhance physician’s prescribing practices and reduce exposure to harmful medications among these vulnerable patients. Finally, delirium is an important prognostic indicator and screening patients could provide invaluable information towards the overall clinical picture. Despite all of this, the current literature does not provide sufficient information to support the use of routine screening on admission2–20,41,52–54. Most of the published studies were conducted among elders who stayed in the hospital for more than 48 hours, missing data on the crucial first 48 hours of the hospital course2–20,41,52–54. These studies did not evaluate the impact of unrecognized CI on the hospital course and the majority of these studies were not conducted in the urban and lower socioeconomic status populations of elders that are the most vulnerable for bad health outcomes2–20,41,52–54. Finally, few studies evaluated the impact of delirium superimposed on cognitive impairment on the hospital course and mortality of elders2–20,41,52–54. With these details in mind we wanted to explore the impact of cognitive impairment recognition among patients aged 65 and older admitted to the medical services of an urban, public hospital in Indianapolis to determine the prevalence and the impact of recognized and unrecognized CI on the hospital course of these elders. Furthermore, we examined the role of delirium superimposed on these hospitalized elders with CI.