IMPACT OF DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS ON ELDERLY PEOPLE´S DEATH RATES IN HOSPITALS

• Autor(a) principal: Sousa-Muñoz, Rilva Lopes de
• Data de Publicação: 2013
• Outros Autores: Fernandes Junior, Ezemir Dantas, Nascimento, Divany de Brito, Garcia, Bruno Braz, Moreira, Iramirton Figuêredo
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: por
• Título da fonte: Saúde e Pesquisa (Online)
• Texto Completo: https://periodicos.unicesumar.edu.br/index.php/saudpesq/article/view/2486
• topic: Depression; Elderly People; Mortality Rate; Depressão; Idosos; Mortalidade; .

Depression symptoms are a foreseen factor for higher mortality rates in elderly people suffering from chronic diseases. Functional incapacity is also important in clinical evolution. Are depression symptoms associated to an unfavorable evolution in hospitalized elderly patients regardless of their functional capacity? Current research evaluated depression symptoms associated to an unfavorable hospital evolution (increase in the permanence in hospital and death rate) regardless of functional capacity. Analysis comprised a prospective section in elderly patients hospitalized in the medical wards of the Hospital Universitário Lauro Wanderley (HULW), João Pessoa PB Brazil, and evaluated at two instances, or rather, second day of hospitalization and discharge. Geriatric Depress Scale (EDG-15) and Barthel Index for Incapacity in Activities of Daily Living (BIIADL) were employed. The age of the one hundred patients ranged between 60 and 96 years (69.47±7.45). Hospital mortality was related to scores of EDG-15 of hospitalization (p=0.001). Co-relationship existed between scores of EDG-15 and BIIADL at the start (p=0.008) and discharge of hospitalization (p=0.01), with inversed linear co-relationships (r=-0.30), albeit weak magnitude (r=-0.30 and r=-0.28, respectively). Depression symptomology was associated with high death rates, regardless of functional capacity. The importance of depression symptomology evaluation in hospitalized elderly people should be underscored. Further studies and prospective analyses may provide further indications.