Factors associated with functional decline in hospitalized patients

Abstract

Objective: to describe the factors associated with functional decline in elderly people hospitalized in a tertiary care hospital and propose possible interventions.

Method: this was a descriptive, observational study with an analytical component of patients over the age of 65 who were admitted to a geriatric unit. The dependent variable was the presence of functional decline during hospitalization, and the independent variables were the demographic data, baseline status, nutritional status, inpatient physical therapy and hospital outcomes. The data were analyzed in a univariate logistic regression model, and a multivariate logistic regression model was applied to control for the effect of the other variables.

Results: of the 833 individuals enrolled in the study, the mean age was 85.28 years (SD 4.46), 56.85% were women, 66.51% were malnourished, 49.33% were mildly dependent, 32% had prior dementia, the median length of stay was 5 days (IQR 3-8) and 43.58% experienced functional decline during their hospitalization. The multivariate logistic regression showed an association between in-hospital functional decline and older age (OR=1.04 CI 1.00-1.07), length of hospital stay (OR=1.12 CI 1.08-1.16), and a history of dementia prior to admission (OR=1.41 CI 1.03-1.92), and an inversely proportional relationship to inpatient physical therapy (OR=0.45 CI 0.32-0.62).

Discussion: older age, prolonged hospital stays and dementia prior to admission are factors associated with in-hospital functional decline, while receiving physical therapy is related to a lower likelihood of this type of decline