Week 3 Flashcards
What s frailty?
Defined as a medical syndrome:
- multiple cause and contributors
- diminished strength and endurance
- reduced physiological function
- Increase an individual’s vulnerability
What are the stages of the clinical frailty scale?
- Very fit
- Well
- Managing well
- Vulnerable
- Mildly frail
- Moderately frail
- Severely frail
- Very severely frail
- Terminally ill
What are the challenges faced with frail patients?
• Multiple Diagnoses, some long-term, some acute
• Presentations with non-specific S&S
- Underlying pathology not obvious
- Complexity of Hx taking and physical examination
- ^prevalence of mental, function and social issues
- Polypharmacy
- ^vulnerability to, poor recovery from, stressor events
- Balancing between quality and quantity of life (ethical considerations)
- ^prevalence of cognitive dysfunction
What are some assessment limitations with frail patients?
- Multiple symptoms
- Multiple Co-morbidities
- Polypharmacy
- Sensory Impairment
- Cognitive Impairment
- Social and environmental limitations that impact upon their health
What should you consider when assessing frail patients?
- Cognitive State (vs Pt’s normal)
- Nutritional State
- Sensory Impairment (PHx of neuro event?)
- Musculoskeletal issues and gait
- Pressure Area
- Postural BP
What happens in regards to fat composition with ageing?
Increased Fat composition, more centrally distributed
- ^ Waist Circumference
What happens with body water content in regards to ageing?
Decreased total body water
- Intracellular fluid loss
What happens with bone and muscle mass with ageing?
Decreased Bone and Muscle Mass
- Bone mass peaks at 25-30
- Atrophy, Hormonal changes, Neuronal degeneration, Impaired protein synthesis
What happens with immune function with ageing?
Decreased immune function:
- B-cell numbers are preserved, but decreased specific antibody and increased autoantibody production
- T-Cell numbers are decreased, reduced activation in respond to both new and recognized antigens
- Decreased seroconversion and seroprotection rates following vaccination
- 20-30% of older patients have a diminished febrile response to infection
What happens with vessel wall compliance with ageing?
Reduced vessel wall compliance:
- Reduced elastin, increased collagen and calcium deposit
- Endothelium is less responsive to vasoactive substances
WHat happens to BP with ageing?
Reduced ability to maintain BP
- Decreased baroreceptor sensitivity
What happens with cardiac function with ageing?
Reduced cardiac function
- Decreased elastin and increased collagen and calcium deposition > impairs diastolic relaxation
- Resting HR and CO remain stable, but peak HR and EF decline
- Heart valve undergo sclerosis due to calcification
- Conduction system undergo fibrosis and fatty change with predisposition to arrthymias
What happens with lung compliance with ageing?
Reduced lung compliance
- Reduced elastic recoil of lung, decreased respiratory muscle strength
What hasppens with renal function with ageing?
Reduced renal function
- Loss of renal mass after age of 40
- Mostly in the cortex, with loss of nephrons
- Thickening of basement membrane
- Increased renal artery resistance > reduced kidney blood flow
WHat happens wth GI suystem wth ageing?
More likely to have GI problems
- Reduced oesophageal motility > impaired swallowing + GORD
- Weakened connective tissue within colonic mucosa > formation of diverticula
- Change in prostaglandin levels and chronic Helicobacter pylori infection > Atrophic Gastritis
Define polypharmacy?
• Being prescribed with 5 or more medications
- > 1/3 of geriatric populations affected
what are some issues around polypharmacy in elderly?
- Risk of inappropriate prescribing
- Dose, duration, contra-indicated drugs, etc
- ↑ Risk of side-effects
- ↑ drug-drug interactions and risk of Adverse Drug Reactions (ADR)
- Higher prevalence of chronic disease
- Most drug researches based on young healthy individuals
- Do not have multiple comorbidity or polypharmacy
What is osteoperosis?
Progressive loss of bone mass
Common – 1/3 of women over 50 YO (post menopause) would sustain a osteoporotic #
• Shift towards bone resorption
- Reduction of net bone mass
Associate with excess morbidity and mortality
• 33% die and 35% require help to walk one year after hip#