[Centenarian patients attended at a general hospital].
BACKGROUND
To report the social and medical situation of centenarian patients who required emergency hospital care during the last 8 years.


METHODS
Retrospective study of patients aged over 100 years attended at the Emergency Department of a general hospital. The percentages of admissions and mortality rates were then compared with those among patients aged over 65.


RESULTS
A total of 51 consultations from 41 patients were recorded, with a mean age of 101.2 years. The number of consultations increased gradually with time (p = 0.008). Ninety-three percent of patients lived with their families, predominantly in the rural setting. The most prevalent conditions included the prostatic syndrome (among males), heart failure and chronic obstruction to the airflow. Only 20% of patients had dementia. Sixty-four percent of consultations required hospital admission, with a mortality rate of 20.5% in this group of patients. The most common discharge diagnoses were heart failure and acute cerebrovascular accident.


CONCLUSIONS
A gradual increase in hospital care is likely to be excepted among centenarians, who have an acceptable health status, although with a high risk of mortality during hospital admission.
Rabuñal Rey
R
R
Servicio de Medicina Interna, Complexo Hospitalario Xeral-Calde, Lugo, Spain.
Monte Secades
R
R
Rigueiro Veloso
M T
MT
Casariego Vales
E J
EJ
Ibáñez Alonso
M D
MD
García Pais
M J
MJ
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D005853:Geriatrics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006299:Health Services for the Aged / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006769:Hospitals, General / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010343:Patient Admission / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013030:Spain