title: Mortality of demented patients in a geriatric institution.
abstract: A group of 237 elderly patients with dementia of Alzheimer type (DAT) or multi-infarct dementia (MID) was randomly selected in a large geriatric institution in Milan. Mean age of the sample was 78.9 years, 160 (67.5%) were DAT patients and 77 (32.5%) were MID patients. Half of the sample had low levels of autonomy and after 4 years 183 (77.2%) patients were dead. Predictors of mortality, according to a univariate analysis, were age, level of autonomy and type of diagnosis (DAT vs. MID). Mortality rate after 4 years was significantly higher (p less than 0.001) in DAT (86.9%) than in MID (57.1%) patients.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Psychology Service, Trivulzio Institute, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Belloni-Sonzogni
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tissot
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tettamanti
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Frattura
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Spagnoli
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000401:mortality*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D015161:Dementia, Multi-Infarct / Q000401:mortality*; D005260:Female; D006707:Homes for the Aged; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009735:Nursing Homes