[Prevalence of depression in hospitalized patients over 65 years old in a medical service of the Military Hospital of Santiago].
OBJECTIVE
To study the frequency of depression in elderly patients admitted to the Internal Medicine Service of an Institutional Hospital.


METHODS
Patients over 65 years old admitted to the Internal Medicine Service of the Military Hospital at Santiago. Chile were assessed using the CDS-20 depression questionnaire and the FROMAGE score for dementia.


RESULTS
One hundred twenty seven patients (71 female), were assessed. According to the FROMAGE score, 30% had moderate and 35% had severe dementia. Ten percent of males and 12% of females were depressive. Moderately demented patients, females, subjects with low educational levels and those living alone had a higher frequency of depression. According to DSM-III the most frequent diagnosis among depressive patients was "adjustment disorder with depressive mood". Attending physicians made the diagnosis in only 11% of patients with depression.


CONCLUSIONS
Depression is frequent among hospitalized elders.
García
C
C
Hospital Parroquial de San Bernardo, Hospital Militar, Santiago de Chile.
Loyola
J
J
Armstrong
T
T
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over / Q000523:psychology; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007297:Inpatients / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors