A preliminary study of the hospital-admitted older patients in a Sri Lankan tertiary care hospital.
OBJECTIVE
To provide reasons for admission, comorbidities, physical and psychosocial characteristics, and outcome of older patients admitted to hospital in Sri Lanka, and to assess adequacy of routine assessment.


METHODS
Descriptive study.


METHODS
University Medical Unit, National Hospital of Sri Lanka during 10 weeks commencing August 2003.


METHODS
All > or = 65 years admitted to the unit, excluding transfers for specialised management and direct admissions by consultants or clinics; 75 men and 75 women.


METHODS
Vision, hearing and speech, tests for tendency to fall, basic activities of daily living (BADL), mood and cognition, body mass index and waist circumference.


RESULTS
Seventy three per cent and 40% had cognitive dysfunction and depression., 20% required assistance in > or = 5/9 BADL, 23% had unprovoked falls within past year, and 57% had a tendency to fall, 34% had < or =6/60 vision.


CONCLUSIONS
Falls, depression, cognitive dysfunction and severe visual impairment were present in substantial proportions, unidentified by routine assessment of older patients.
Weerasuriya
N
N
National Hospital of Sri Lanka. namalw@yahoo.com
Jayasinghe
S
S
D000058:Accidental Falls / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006785:Hospitals, University / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D010343:Patient Admission / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013188:Sri Lanka / Q000453:epidemiology; D014600:Utilization Review; D014786:Vision Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology