TY - JOUR
T1 - Is the Drug Burden Index Related to Declining Functional Status at Follow-up in Community-Dwelling Seniors Consulting for Minor Injuries? Results from the Canadian Emergency Team Initiative Cohort Study
AU - Kröger, Edeltraut
AU - Simard, Marilyn
AU - Sirois, Marie Josée
AU - Giroux, Marianne
AU - Sirois, Caroline
AU - Kouladjian-O’Donnell, Lisa
AU - Reeve, Emily
AU - Hilmer, Sarah
AU - Carmichael, Pierre Hugues
AU - Émond, Marcel
N1 - Funding Information:
Funding This study received financial and logistic support from the Réseau québécois de recherche sur le vieillissement du Fonds de recherche québecois—santé (MJS and study team) and the Quebec Centre for Excellence in Aging of the Centre intégré universitaire de santé et de services sociaux de la Capitale-Nationale (CIUSSSCN) (EK, MJS and study team) and from the Centre de recherche du CHU de Québec. None of the financial contributors participated in collection, analysis, or interpretation of data, or in writing the manuscript.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2018, Springer Nature Switzerland AG.
PY - 2019/1/22
Y1 - 2019/1/22
N2 - Background: The Canadian Emergency Team Initiative (CETI) cohort showed that minor injuries like sprained ankles or small fractures trigger a downward spiral of functional decline in 16% of independent seniors up to 6 months post-injury. Such seniors frequently receive medications with sedative or anticholinergic properties. The Drug Burden Index (DBI), which summarises the drug burden of these specific medications, has been associated with decreased physical and cognitive functioning in previous research. Objectives: We aimed to assess the contribution of the DBI to functional decline in the CETI cohort. Methods: CETI participants were assessed physically and cognitively at baseline during their consultations at emergency departments (EDs) for their injuries and up to 6 months thereafter. The medication data were used to calculate baseline DBI and functional status was measured with the Older Americans Resources and Services (OARS) scale. Multivariate linear regression models assessed the association between baseline DBI and functional status at 6 months, adjusting for age, sex, baseline OARS, frailty level, comorbidity count, and mild cognitive impairment. Results: The mean age of the 846 participants was 77 years and their mean DBI at baseline was 0.24. Complete follow-up data at 3 or 6 months was available for 718 participants among whom a higher DBI at the time of injury contributed to a lower functional status at 6 months. Each additional point in the DBI lead to a loss of 0.5 points on the OARS functional scale, p < 0.001. Among those with a DBI ≥ 1, 27.4% were considered ‘patients who decline’ at 3 or 6 months’ follow-up, compared with 16.0% of those with a DBI of 0 (p = 0.06). Conclusions: ED visits are considered missed opportunities for optimal care interventions in seniors; Identifying their DBI and adjusting treatment accordingly may help limit functional decline in those at risk after minor injury.
AB - Background: The Canadian Emergency Team Initiative (CETI) cohort showed that minor injuries like sprained ankles or small fractures trigger a downward spiral of functional decline in 16% of independent seniors up to 6 months post-injury. Such seniors frequently receive medications with sedative or anticholinergic properties. The Drug Burden Index (DBI), which summarises the drug burden of these specific medications, has been associated with decreased physical and cognitive functioning in previous research. Objectives: We aimed to assess the contribution of the DBI to functional decline in the CETI cohort. Methods: CETI participants were assessed physically and cognitively at baseline during their consultations at emergency departments (EDs) for their injuries and up to 6 months thereafter. The medication data were used to calculate baseline DBI and functional status was measured with the Older Americans Resources and Services (OARS) scale. Multivariate linear regression models assessed the association between baseline DBI and functional status at 6 months, adjusting for age, sex, baseline OARS, frailty level, comorbidity count, and mild cognitive impairment. Results: The mean age of the 846 participants was 77 years and their mean DBI at baseline was 0.24. Complete follow-up data at 3 or 6 months was available for 718 participants among whom a higher DBI at the time of injury contributed to a lower functional status at 6 months. Each additional point in the DBI lead to a loss of 0.5 points on the OARS functional scale, p < 0.001. Among those with a DBI ≥ 1, 27.4% were considered ‘patients who decline’ at 3 or 6 months’ follow-up, compared with 16.0% of those with a DBI of 0 (p = 0.06). Conclusions: ED visits are considered missed opportunities for optimal care interventions in seniors; Identifying their DBI and adjusting treatment accordingly may help limit functional decline in those at risk after minor injury.
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85055974848
U2 - 10.1007/s40266-018-0604-9
DO - 10.1007/s40266-018-0604-9
M3 - Article
C2 - 30378088
AN - SCOPUS:85055974848
SN - 1170-229X
VL - 36
SP - 73
EP - 83
JO - Drugs & Aging
JF - Drugs & Aging
IS - 1
ER -