TY - JOUR
T1 - Behavioural and psychiatric symptoms in people with dementia admitted to the acute hospital
T2 - Prospective cohort study
AU - Sampson, Elizabeth
AU - White, Nicola
AU - Leurent, Baptiste
AU - Scott, Sharon
AU - Lord, Kathryn
AU - Round, Jeff
AU - Jones, Louise
PY - 2014/9/1
Y1 - 2014/9/1
N2 - Background: Dementia is common in older people admitted to acute hospitals. There are concerns about the quality of care they receive. Behavioural and psychiatric symptoms of dementia (BPSD) seem to be particularly challenging for hospital staff. Aims: To define the prevalence of BPSD and explore their clinical associations. Method: Longitudinal cohort study of 230 people with dementia, aged over 70, admitted to hospital for acute medical illness, and assessed for BPSD at admission and every 4 (±1) days until discharge. Other measures included length of stay, care quality indicators, adverse events and mortality. Results: Participants were very impaired; 46% at Functional Assessment Staging Scale (FAST) stage 6d or above (doubly incontinent), 75% had BPSD, and 43% had some BPSD that were moderately/severely troubling to staff. Most common were aggression (57%), activity disturbance (44%), sleep disturbance (42%) and anxiety (35%). Conclusions: We found that BPSD are very common in older people admitted to an acute hospital. Patients and staff would benefit from more specialist psychiatric support.
AB - Background: Dementia is common in older people admitted to acute hospitals. There are concerns about the quality of care they receive. Behavioural and psychiatric symptoms of dementia (BPSD) seem to be particularly challenging for hospital staff. Aims: To define the prevalence of BPSD and explore their clinical associations. Method: Longitudinal cohort study of 230 people with dementia, aged over 70, admitted to hospital for acute medical illness, and assessed for BPSD at admission and every 4 (±1) days until discharge. Other measures included length of stay, care quality indicators, adverse events and mortality. Results: Participants were very impaired; 46% at Functional Assessment Staging Scale (FAST) stage 6d or above (doubly incontinent), 75% had BPSD, and 43% had some BPSD that were moderately/severely troubling to staff. Most common were aggression (57%), activity disturbance (44%), sleep disturbance (42%) and anxiety (35%). Conclusions: We found that BPSD are very common in older people admitted to an acute hospital. Patients and staff would benefit from more specialist psychiatric support.
UR - http://bjp.rcpsych.org/content/bjprcpsych/205/3/189.full.pdf
U2 - 10.1192/bjp.bp.113.130948
DO - 10.1192/bjp.bp.113.130948
M3 - Article (Academic Journal)
C2 - 25061120
AN - SCOPUS:84906979033
SN - 0007-1250
VL - 205
SP - 189
EP - 196
JO - British Journal of Psychiatry
JF - British Journal of Psychiatry
IS - 3
ER -