Activities of daily living at hospital admission and estimated survival time of older patients

Jesper Ryg*, Henriette Engberg, Pavithra Laxsen Anru, Solvejg Gram Henneberg Pedersen, Martin Gronbech Jorgensen, Kirsten Laila Vinding, Tahir Masud, Karen Andersen-Ranberg

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articleResearchpeer-review

10 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Predicting expected survival time in acutely hospitalised older patients is a clinical challenge.

OBJECTIVE: To examine if activities of daily living (ADL) assessed by Barthel-Index-100 (Barthel-Index) at hospital admission adds useful information to clinicians on expected survival time in older patients.

METHODS: A nationwide population-based cohort study was used. All patients aged ≥65 years in the National Danish Geriatric Database from 2005 to 2014 were followed up until death, emigration or study termination (31 December 2015). Individual data were linked to national health registers. Barthel-Index was categorised into five-point subcategories with a separate category of Barthel-Index = 0. Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to assess crude survival proportions (95% CI) and Cox regression to examine association of Barthel-Index and mortality adjusting for age, Charlson comorbidity index, medication use, BMI, marital status, prior hospitalisations and admission year.

RESULTS: In total, 74,589 patients (63% women) aged (mean (SD)) 82.5(7.5) years with Barthel-Index (median (IQR)) 54(29-77) were included. In patients with Barthel-Index = 100-96 crude survival was 0.96(0.95-0.97) after 90-days, 0.88(0.87-0.89) after 1-year, and 0.79(0.78-0.80) after 2-years. Corresponding survival in patients with Barthel-Index = 0 was 0.49(0.47-0.51), 0.35(0.34-0.37) and 0.26(0.24-0.27). Decreasing Barthel-Index was associated with increasing mortality in the multivariable analysis. In women with Barthel-Index = 0, the mortality risk (HR (95% CI)) was 14.74(11.33-19.18) after 90-days, 8.40(7.13-9.90) after 1-year and 6.22(5.47-7.07) after 2-years using Barthel-Index = 100-96 as reference. In men, the corresponding risks were 11.36(8.81-14.66), 6.22(5.29-7.31) and 5.22(4.56-5.98).

CONCLUSIONS: ADL measured by Barthel-Index provides useful, easily accessible and independent information to clinicians on expected survival time in patients admitted to a geriatric department.

Original languageEnglish
Article numberafaa251
JournalAge and Ageing
Volume50
Issue number4
Pages (from-to)1200–1207
Number of pages8
ISSN0002-0729
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Jul 2021

Keywords

  • Activities of daily living
  • Barthel Index
  • Cohort study
  • Geriatric patients
  • Mortality

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