ABSTRACT
Background: With the anticipated increase in the number of elderly people in Lebanon, it is important to develop services tailored to their specific needs. The Identification of Seniors At Risk [ISAR] tool identifies, in emergency setting, frail elderly people at risk of adverse outcomes, who are more likely to benefit from a geriatric approach
Objectives: i] Assess the geriatric profile according to ISAR score ; ii] correlate the score to outcomes two months after Emergency Department [ED] visit
Methods: A two month prospective study : at the ED of Hotel-Dieu de France Hospital, we interviewed 273 people aged 70 years and older [or their caregiver] using the ISAR tool. Telephone follow-up was done two months later
Results : The prevalence of subjects with ISAR score >/= 2 and thus likely to benefit from the establishment of a geriatric service is 70.7% [95% CI : 64.9-76.0]. Elderly patients admitted to ED with ISAR score >/= 2 are more likely to be hospitalized [51.6%] than subjects of the same age and sex with ISAR score < 2 [36.9%] [p = 0.034]. After two months of follow-up, the risk of hospital readmission and the risk of death was significantly associated with the ISAR score [p = 0.0005]
Conclusion: The percentage of elderly people likely to benefit from specialized geriatric care network upon admission to the ED of a university hospital is significantly high [70.7% [95% CI: 64.9-76 .0]]