Dataset Information

Timed Up and Go predicts functional decline in older patients presenting to the emergency department following minor trauma†.

ABSTRACT:

Background

there is no standardised test for assessing mobility in the Emergency Department (ED).

Objective

we wished to evaluate the relationship between the Timed Up and Go (TUG) and frailty, functional decline and falls in community dwelling elders that present to the ED following minor trauma.

Methods

this was a secondary analysis of a prospective cohort study conducted at eight Canadian hospitals. Evaluations included: TUG; Study of Osteoporotic Fractures Frailty Index; Older American Resources and Service Functional Scale; and self-reported falls. Of note, 3- and 6-month follow-up was conducted. Generalised linear model with log-binomial distribution was utilised. Relative risks (RR) and 95% CI were calculated.

Results

TUG scores were available for 911/2918 patients, mean age 76.2 (SD 7.8) and 57.9% female. There was an association between TUG scores and frailty (P < 0.05) and functional decline at 3 (P < 0.05) and 6 (P < 0.05) months but not self-reported falls. For TUG scores 10-19 seconds, 20-29 seconds and ≥30 seconds, respectively: (i) frailty RR (95% CI): 1.8 (1.3-2.4), 3.0 (2.2-4.2) and 3.7 (2.6-5.1); (ii) functional decline RR (95% CI): 2.7 (1.1-6.4), 5.5 (2.1-14.3) and 8.9 (3.0-25.8); (iii) falls RR (95% CI): 0.9 (0.5-1.5), 1.3 (0.6-2.5) and 1.1 (0.4-3.5).

Conclusion

in community dwelling elders presenting to the ED following minor trauma, TUG scores were associated with frailty and strongly associated with functional decline at 3 and 6 months post injury. TUG scores were not associated with self-reported falls. Use of the TUG in the ED will help identify frail patients at risk of functional decline.

SUBMITTER: Eagles D

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5385920 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Similar Datasets

Project description:This study aims to evaluate the efficacy of the PECARN Rule (PR) in reducing radiological investigations in children with mild traumatic head injury in comparison with current clinical practice. A retrospective study was performed in our hospital between July 2015 and June 2020. Data of all children < 18 years of age admitted to the emergency department (ED), within 24 h after a head trauma with GCS ≥ 14, were analyzed. PECARN Rule was retrospectively applied to all patients. In total, 3832 patients were enrolled, 2613 patients ≥ 2 years and 1219 < 2 years. In the group of children ≥ 2 years, 10 presented clinically important traumatic brain injury (ciTBI) and were hospitalized, 7/10 underwent neurosurgery, and 3/10 clinical observation in the pediatric ward for more than 48 h. In children < 2 years, only 3 patients presented ciTBI, 2 underwent neurosurgery and 1 hospitalized. Applying the PR, no patient with ciTBI would have been discharged without an accurate diagnosis and we would have avoided 139 CT scans in patients ≥ 2 years, and 23 in those < 2 years of age (29% less).ConclusionWe demonstrated the safety and validity of the PR in our setting with 100% sensitivity in both age groups in identifying patients with ciTBI and theoretically in reducing performed CT scans by 29%. Therefore, in patients classified in the low-risk category, it is a duty not to expose the child to ionizing radiation.What is known• CT is the gold standard to identify intracranial pathology in children with head injury but CT imaging of head-injured children expose them to higher carcinogenic risk. • PECARN Rules support doctors in identifying children with ciTBI in order to reduce exposure to ionizing radiation.What is new• We demonstrate the safety and validity of the PR with 100% sensitivity in both age groups in identifying patients with ciTBI. • In our setting, the application of PECARN Rule would theoretically have allowed us to reduce the CT scan by 29%.