title: Dementia in elderly inpatients admitted to medical wards in Brazil: diagnosis and comorbidity with other clinical diseases.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Specific comorbidities affect older patients with dementia admitted to general hospitals and may complicate the recognition of dementia. The aim of the present study was to estimate the prevalence of dementia among elderly inpatients admitted to hospital medical wards and to identify its distribution across clinical and sociodemographic conditions.
  
  
  METHODS
  From June 2011 to May 2012, a sample of elderly inpatients (≥60 years old) were screened for dementia with the Mini-Mental State Examination and the Bayer Activities of Daily Living Scale to identify cognitive and functional impairment (CFI). Subjects with CFI underwent a diagnostic procedure for dementia using the Cambridge Mental Disorders of the Elderly Examination and the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edition. The elderly inpatients also completed a standard questionnaire to investigate sociodemographic and clinical variables and a screening procedure for depression and delirium. The data obtained were submitted to univariate and multivariate analyses.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The sample of 224 subjects had a mean age of 71.5 years and was mostly men (62.2%), poorly educated (≤4 years of schooling: 74.6%), and married (53.4%). CFI was observed in 84 subjects (prevalence: 37.4%; 95% confidence interval: 31.1-43.7), and dementia was observed in 31 subjects (prevalence: 17.2%; 95% confidence interval: 12.3-22.1). Dementia was related to older age and the presence of delirium, stroke, and pneumonia.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The prevalence of CFI and dementia was high among the elderly inpatients examined. The identification of medical and sociodemographic conditions associated with a dementia diagnosis in a general hospital may be useful in the development of preventative actions.
authors.affiliation: Health Science Center, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Brazil.
authors.forename: Erica
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Maia
authors.affiliation: Health Science Center, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Brazil.
authors.forename: Matheus Souza
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Steglich
authors.affiliation: Health Science Center, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Brazil.
authors.forename: Alice Ponte
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Lima
authors.affiliation: Health Science Center, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Brazil.
authors.forename: Iris Hermes
authors.initials: IH
authors.lastname: Zanella Troncoso
authors.affiliation: Health Science Center, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Brazil.
authors.forename: Karina Ilheu
authors.initials: KI
authors.lastname: da Silva
authors.affiliation: Health Science Center, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Brazil.
authors.forename: Tassiane Raquel Cunha
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Martins
authors.affiliation: Internal Medicine Department, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ylmar
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Correa Neto
authors.affiliation: Internal Medicine Department, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Brazil.
authors.forename: Marcos Antonio
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Lopes
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living / Q000523:psychology; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015897:Comorbidity; D003693:Delirium / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003704:Dementia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007297:Inpatients / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: cognitive disorders; dementia; epidemiology; inpatient