Care of the elderly/palliative Flashcards
COTE ASSESSMENT
What is frailty?
Is it inevitable?
- State of increased vulnerability resulting from ageing-associated decline in reserve + function across multiple physiological systems resulting in compromised ability to cope with everyday or acute stressors
COTE ASSESSMENT
What are the geriatric giants?
4 I’s –
- Instability (falls)
- Immobility
- Intellectual impairment (confusion)
- Incontinence
COTE ASSESSMENT
What are the geriatric 5Ms?
- Mind = dementia, delirium, depression
- Mobility = impaired gait + balance, falls
- Medications = polypharmacy, medication burden, adverse effects
- Multi-complexity = multi-morbidity, biopsychosocial
- Matters most = individual health outcomes + preferences
COTE ASSESSMENT
What is acopia?
- Social admission = unable to cope with ADLs
COTE ASSESSMENT
What is a comprehensive geriatric assessment?
What is the process?
- Development of a coordinated, integrated plan for treatment + long-term support
- Assessment > problem list > personalised care plan > intervention > regular planned review > assessment etc.
COTE ASSESSMENT
What is rehabilitation?
- Process of restoring a patient to maximum function
COTE ASSESSMENT
What is pharmacodynamics?
How does this change for the elderly?
- What the DRUG does to the BODY
- Elderly prone to ADRs such as postural hypotension, confusion, bowel issues
COTE ASSESSMENT
What is pharmacokinetics?
How does this change for the elderly?
Example?
- What the BODY does to the DRUG
- Changes in absorption, distribution, metabolism + excretion of drugs
- Decreased excretion = prone to toxicity from lower doses
COTE ASSESSMENT
What are some potential problems with polypharmacy?
- Drug interactions, increased SEs + pill burden
- Can affect compliance + lead to decreased pt satisfaction
MEDICO-LEGAL ASPECTS
What is the purpose of the Mental Capacity Act, 2005?
- Empower + protect people >16y who lack capacity to make their own decisions about their care + treatment since 1/10/07
MEDICO-LEGAL ASPECTS
What is the two-step test in MCA?
- Does the person have an impairment of their mind or brain? E.g. dementia, severe LD, brain injury, coma
- Is this impairment significant enough to deem them unable of making a particular decision?
MEDICO-LEGAL ASPECTS
What are the 4 aspects of assessing capacity?
- Does the pt UNDERSTAND the information?
- Can the pt RETAIN that information?
- Can the pt use the information to WEIGH UP the pros + cons?
- Can the pt COMMUNICATE their decision back (ensure different methods explored)
MEDICO-LEGAL ASPECTS
What are the 5 principles underpinning the MCA?
- Assume capacity until proven otherwise
- Maximise decision-making capacity (all practical support to help them make decision given)
- Apparent unwise decision ≠ incapacity
- All decisions on behalf of patient in best interests
- Least restrictive option should be chosen
MEDICO-LEGAL ASPECTS
What are some important considerations about a person’s capacity status?
- Can fluctuate with time (temporary cognitive impairment like delirium)
- Decision specific so may have capacity for some decisions, do not just completely write off
MEDICO-LEGAL ASPECTS
What is the role of an independent mental capacity advocate (IMCA)?
- Support + represent people who lack capacity and do not have anyone else to represent them in a major decision
- Cannot make a decision on pt’s behalf but contributes
MEDICO-LEGAL ASPECTS
What are some important considerations when making best interest decisions?
- Encourage participation
- Find out the person’s views (past + present wishes, beliefs, values)
- Avoid discrimination
- Could they regain capacity? Can it wait?
- Identify all relevant circumstances
MEDICO-LEGAL ASPECTS
Who would you consult when making best interest decisions?
- Carers, relatives, close friends, appointed attorneys
MEDICO-LEGAL ASPECTS
What is a deprivation of liberty safeguard, DoLS (new name Liberty Protection Safeguards)?
- Necessary to deprive a patient or resident of their liberty as they lack capacity to consent to treatment or care to keep them safe from harm
MEDICO-LEGAL ASPECTS
What are some conditions of DOLS?
- Must be in care home or hospital
- Act in best interests
- Suffering from a mental disorder
- Restrictions would deprive their liberty
- Least restrictive
MEDICO-LEGAL ASPECTS
How should a DoLS be attained?
What are the limitations of an urgent DoLS?
- Officially verified by local DoLS team apart from an urgent DoLS which can be executed without prior formal authorisation
- Up to 7d
MEDICO-LEGAL ASPECTS
What is an advanced directive?
- Written statement made by patient WITH capacity regarding their future wishes for treatment which comes into effect when they subsequently lack capacity
MEDICO-LEGAL ASPECTS
What are the 2 aspects of advanced directives?
- Advanced refusal of treatments = legally binding
- Advanced request for treatment = less legal binding as cannot request treatment
MEDICO-LEGAL ASPECTS
What is a Lasting Power of Attorney?
What are the two types?
What makes it valid?
- Legal contract drawn up by a patient WITH capacity who nominates another person to make decision on their behalf when they lose capacity
- Financial and property or health and welfare
- Must be registered with Office of the Public Guardian
MEDICO-LEGAL ASPECTS
What is an alternative to an LPA?
- Court Appointed Deputy by the court of protection appoints once person lacks capacity
DELIRIUM
What is delirium?
- Acute confusional state, fluctuates in severity, usually reversible
DELIRIUM
What is the aetiology of delirium?
PINCH ME –
- Pain
- Infection (UTI, pneumonia)
- Nutrition (thiamine, B12 + folate deficiency)
- Constipation (faecal impaction)
- Hydration (dehydrated)
- Metabolic/medication
- Environment/electrolytes (changes in environment, hyper/hypo Ca2+, Na+, K+)
DELIRIUM
What are some metabolic/medication causes of delirium?
- Hyper/hypo thyroid + glycaemia
- Opioids, anticholinergics, Parkinson’s meds, steroids, BDZs
DELIRIUM
Who are high risk patients that require screening on admission?
- > 65y
- Background of dementia
- Significant injury = hip fracture
- Frailty or multi-morbidity
DELIRIUM
What are the core features of delirium?
- Impaired consciousness
- Cognitive disturbance
- Acute/fluctuating course (worse at night = sundowning)
DELIRIUM
What are the two sub-types of delirium and how do they present?
- Hyperactive = agitation, hallucinations, delusions, restless
- Hypoactive (less recognisable) = withdrawn, lethargic, quiet
DELIRIUM
What is a suitable screening tool for delirium?
- Abbreviated mental test (AMT)
- Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MOCA) <26
- Mini mental state examination
DELIRIUM
What investigations would you do in delirium?
What else would you consider?
- “Confusion/delirium screen”
- FBC, CRP, B12 + folate, U&Es, Ca2+, ?phosphate, TFTs, LFTs, glucose, INR + clotting, blood + urine cultures
- Imaging = CXR + CT head
- Referral to memory clinic or old age psychiatrist if ?dementia syndrome
DELIRIUM
How does delirium differ from dementia for…
i) deterioration?
ii) course?
iii) consciousness?
iv) thought content?
v) hallucinations?
i) Rapid (hours-days) + reversible vs. slow (months-years) + not reversible
ii) Acute + fluctuating vs. insidious + progressive
iii) Clouded vs. alert
iv) Vivid, complex + muddled vs impoverished
v) V common, visual vs. in 1/3rd, auditory/visual
DELIRIUM
What is the conservative management of delirium?
- Logistics = side room, same staff members, talk/listen
- Orientate = big clocks, calendars, family visits + personal belongings
- Treat sensory impairments (glasses, hearing aids)
- Prevent several ward changes
- Sleep hygiene (promote sleeping at night)
DELIRIUM
In hyperactive delirium, how do you manage de-escalation?
- Non-pharmacological de-escalation = talking to de-fuse
- PO 0.5mg haloperidol or lorazepam (LBD/Parkinson’s)
- IM/IV haloperidol or lorazepam
ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE
What is the pathophysiology of Alzheimer’s disease?
- Accumulation of beta-amyloid peptide plaques which result in degeneration of cerebral cortex with cortical atrophy + loss of acetylcholine.
ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE
What are the causes of Alzheimer’s disease?
What are some risk factors?
- Unknown but most common type of dementia
- FHx, increasing age, Down’s syndrome
ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE
What genes have been implicated to…
i) familial early-onset Alzheimer’s?
ii) late onset Alzheimer’s?
i) APP gene, presenilin 1 + 2 (autosomal dominant)
ii) Apolipoprotein E (ApoE)
ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE
What is the clinical presentation of Alzheimer’s
4As of Alzheimer’s –
- Amnesia (recent memories lost first)
- Apraxia (inability to carry out skilled tasks = button clothes, use cutlery)
- Agnosia (recognition problems)
- Aphasia (word finding problems)
ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE
On CT/MRI head in Alzheimer’s disease, what are the…
i) macroscopic pathological changes?
ii) microscopic or histological pathological changes?
i) Diffuse cerebral atrophy (small brain, esp. cortext + hippocampus), increased sulcal widening, enlarged ventricles
ii) Neuronal loss, neurofibrillary tangles (aggregation of tau proteins), beta-amyloid plaques
ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE
What is the management of Alzheimer’s?
- Cognitive stimulation therapy, group reminiscence therapy
- AChEi (donepezil, rivastigmine) for mild–mod
- NMDA antagonist (memantine) for mod–severe
- ?Antipsychotics if risk of harm or significant agitation or delusions
VASCULAR DEMENTIA
What is vascular dementia?
What are the risk factors?
- Dementia 2º to ischaemia to brain 2º to vascular damage, 2nd commonest type
- AF, stroke/TIA, CVD = HTN, DM, hypercholesterolaemia, smoking
VASCULAR DEMENTIA
What is the clinical presentation of vascular dementia?
- Stepwise deterioration with short periods of stability then suddenly decline
- Focal neurology
- Memory/gait/speech/emotional disturbance
VASCULAR DEMENTIA
What investigation would you do in vascular dementia and what would it show?
- CT head = infarcts, significant small vessel disease
VASCULAR DEMENTIA
What is the management of vascular dementia?
- Vascular risk factor Mx = lifestyle, optimise co-morbidities
- ONLY consider AChEi or memantine if suspected co-morbid Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s dementia or LBD
LEWY-BODY DEMENTIA
What is the pathophysiology of Lewy-Body dementia?
What condition is LBD associated to and how can you differentiate?
- Presence of Lewy bodies (alpha-synuclein inclusions) in the basal ganglia (substantia nigra) + cerebral cortex
- Dementia > movement signs = LBD
- Movement sign > dementia = Parkinson’s dementia
LEWY-BODY DEMENTIA
What is the clinical presentation of Lewy-Body dementia?
- Progressive cognitive impairment with fluctuating cognition
- Vivid visual hallucinations
- Parkinsonism
- REM sleep behaviour disorder
LEWY-BODY DEMENTIA
What is the management of Lewy-Body dementia?
- SPECT/DaTscan being used more
- Both AChEi + memantine being used as in Alzheimer’s
- SENSITIVE to antipsychotics, can lead to irreversible Parkinsonism