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- Title
Diagnostic Failure of Cognitive Impairment in Nursing Home Residents May Lead to Impaired Medical Care.
- Authors
Westerlind, Björn; Östgren, Carl Johan; Midlöv, Patrik; Marcusson, Jan
- Abstract
Background/Objectives: Dementia and cognitive impairment are common in nursing homes. Few studies have studied the impact of unnoted cognitive impairment on medical care. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of diagnostic failure of cognitive impairment in a sample of Swedish nursing home residents and to analyze whether diagnostic failure was associated with impaired medical care. Method: A total of 428 nursing home residents were investigated during 2008–2011. Subjects without dementia diagnosis were grouped by result of the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE), where subjects with <24 points formed a possible dementia group and the remaining subjects a control group. A third group consisted of subjects with diagnosed dementia. These three groups were compared according to baseline data, laboratory findings, drug use, and mortality. Results: Dementia was previously diagnosed in 181 subjects (42%). Among subjects without a dementia diagnosis, 72% were cognitively impaired with possible dementia (MMSE <24). These subjects were significantly older, did not get anti-dementia treatment, and had higher levels of brain natriuretic peptide compared to the diagnosed dementia group, but the risks of malnutrition and pressure ulcers were similar to the dementia group. Conclusions: Unnoted cognitive impairment is common in nursing home residents and may conceal other potentially treatable conditions such as heart failure. The results highlight a need to pay increased attention to cognitive impairment among nursing home residents.
- Subjects
SWEDEN; COGNITION disorders diagnosis; DIAGNOSIS of dementia; COGNITION disorders treatment; MALNUTRITION risk factors; ATTENTION; PRESSURE ulcers; COGNITION disorders; CLINICAL pathology; DIAGNOSTIC errors; HEART failure; MEDICAL care; PEPTIDE hormones; SUBSTANCE abuse; PSYCHOSOCIAL factors; DISEASE prevalence; DISEASE risk factors
- Publication
Dementia & Geriatric Cognitive Disorders, 2019, Vol 47, Issue 4-6, p209
- ISSN
1420-8008
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1159/000499671