title: Behavioural and psychiatric symptoms in people with dementia admitted to the acute hospital: prospective cohort study.
abstract: 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.
  
  
  METHODS
  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.
authors: Elizabeth L. Sampson, MD MRCPsych, Marie Curie Palliative Care Research Unit, Division of Psychiatry, University College Medical School and Barnet Enfield and Haringey Mental Health Trust-Liaison Psychiatry Team, North Middlesex University Hospital, London; Nicola White, BSc, MSc, Baptiste Leurent, MSc, Sharon Scott, RGN MSc, Kathryn Lord, BSc, Jeff Round, MA, Louise Jones, MB FRCP, Marie Curie Palliative Care Research Unit, Division of Psychiatry, University College Medical School, London, UK.
authors: Elizabeth L
authors: EL
authors: Sampson
authors: Elizabeth L. Sampson, MD MRCPsych, Marie Curie Palliative Care Research Unit, Division of Psychiatry, University College Medical School and Barnet Enfield and Haringey Mental Health Trust-Liaison Psychiatry Team, North Middlesex University Hospital, London; Nicola White, BSc, MSc, Baptiste Leurent, MSc, Sharon Scott, RGN MSc, Kathryn Lord, BSc, Jeff Round, MA, Louise Jones, MB FRCP, Marie Curie Palliative Care Research Unit, Division of Psychiatry, University College Medical School, London, UK.
authors: Nicola
authors: N
authors: White
authors: Elizabeth L. Sampson, MD MRCPsych, Marie Curie Palliative Care Research Unit, Division of Psychiatry, University College Medical School and Barnet Enfield and Haringey Mental Health Trust-Liaison Psychiatry Team, North Middlesex University Hospital, London; Nicola White, BSc, MSc, Baptiste Leurent, MSc, Sharon Scott, RGN MSc, Kathryn Lord, BSc, Jeff Round, MA, Louise Jones, MB FRCP, Marie Curie Palliative Care Research Unit, Division of Psychiatry, University College Medical School, London, UK.
authors: Baptiste
authors: B
authors: Leurent
authors: Elizabeth L. Sampson, MD MRCPsych, Marie Curie Palliative Care Research Unit, Division of Psychiatry, University College Medical School and Barnet Enfield and Haringey Mental Health Trust-Liaison Psychiatry Team, North Middlesex University Hospital, London; Nicola White, BSc, MSc, Baptiste Leurent, MSc, Sharon Scott, RGN MSc, Kathryn Lord, BSc, Jeff Round, MA, Louise Jones, MB FRCP, Marie Curie Palliative Care Research Unit, Division of Psychiatry, University College Medical School, London, UK.
authors: Sharon
authors: S
authors: Scott
authors: Elizabeth L. Sampson, MD MRCPsych, Marie Curie Palliative Care Research Unit, Division of Psychiatry, University College Medical School and Barnet Enfield and Haringey Mental Health Trust-Liaison Psychiatry Team, North Middlesex University Hospital, London; Nicola White, BSc, MSc, Baptiste Leurent, MSc, Sharon Scott, RGN MSc, Kathryn Lord, BSc, Jeff Round, MA, Louise Jones, MB FRCP, Marie Curie Palliative Care Research Unit, Division of Psychiatry, University College Medical School, London, UK.
authors: Kathryn
authors: K
authors: Lord
authors: Elizabeth L. Sampson, MD MRCPsych, Marie Curie Palliative Care Research Unit, Division of Psychiatry, University College Medical School and Barnet Enfield and Haringey Mental Health Trust-Liaison Psychiatry Team, North Middlesex University Hospital, London; Nicola White, BSc, MSc, Baptiste Leurent, MSc, Sharon Scott, RGN MSc, Kathryn Lord, BSc, Jeff Round, MA, Louise Jones, MB FRCP, Marie Curie Palliative Care Research Unit, Division of Psychiatry, University College Medical School, London, UK.
authors: Jeff
authors: J
authors: Round
authors: Elizabeth L. Sampson, MD MRCPsych, Marie Curie Palliative Care Research Unit, Division of Psychiatry, University College Medical School and Barnet Enfield and Haringey Mental Health Trust-Liaison Psychiatry Team, North Middlesex University Hospital, London; Nicola White, BSc, MSc, Baptiste Leurent, MSc, Sharon Scott, RGN MSc, Kathryn Lord, BSc, Jeff Round, MA, Louise Jones, MB FRCP, Marie Curie Palliative Care Research Unit, Division of Psychiatry, University College Medical School, London, UK.
authors: Louise
authors: L
authors: Jones
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000374:Aggression / Q000523:psychology*; D001007:Anxiety / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003704:Dementia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012893:Sleep Wake Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D063189:Symptom Assessment