Mortality in patients with dementia following admission to a nursing home; a 10-year analysis
Koopmans, R.T.; Ekkerink, J.L.; van den Hoogen, H.J.; van Weel, C.
Nederlands Tijdschrift Voor Geneeskunde 138(23): 1169-1174
1994
ISSN/ISBN: 0028-2162 PMID: 8008139 Document Number: 430747
To identify factors that have an effect on mortality after admission of nursing home patients with dementia and to investigate changes in mortality and patients' characteristics throughout ten years of patient admittance. Psychogeriatric nursing home 'Joachim en Anna', Nijmegen, the Netherlands. Retrospective analysis of medical charts. In 890 patients, admitted between 1980 and 1989, the diagnosis of dementia was determined by means of the DSM-III-R criteria and the ischaemia scale of Hachinski. Comorbid conditions were classified by the ICHPPC-2-defined. Severity of dementia was expressed by a rating scale for elderly patients. Survival analysis was done by using product-limit estimates and Cox proportional hazards model. The overall 2-year survival rate after admission was 43%, 30% for men and 49% for women. The results of proportional hazards modelling indicated that gender, age at admission, type of dementia, rate of dependency and some comorbid conditions had a statistically significant influence on mortality. Between 1980 and 1989 there were no significant changes in mortality nor in patients' characteristics. Mortality after admission to this psychogeriatric nursing home is determined by multiple factors. Based on these factors the prognosis with respect to survival can be estimated.