Associação entre depressão, níveis de dor e falta de apoio social em pacientes internados em enfermarias de clínica médica / Association of depression, levels of pain and lack of social support in patients admitted to general medical wards

OBJETIVO: Verificar a associação entre depressão, níveis de dor e falta de apoio social em pacientes clínicos internados. MÉTODOS: Em um estudo transversal, 1.147 adultos admitidos nas enfermarias de clínica médica de um hospital universitário foram selecionados por randomização e avaliados durante a primeira semana de internação. Foram utilizados: Subescala Cognitivo-afetiva do Inventário Beck de Depressão (BDI-13), Índice Charlson de Comorbidade Física e escalas numéricas para avaliar dor e percepção de gravidade física. Foram considerados deprimidos os pacientes que pontuaram acima de 10 no BDI-13. Investigou-se apoio social por meio da pergunta direta: "Com quantos parentes ou amigos você se sente à vontade e pode falar sobre tudo ou quase tudo?". Foram considerados como tendo falta de apoio social os pacientes que relataram ter menos que quatro parentes ou amigos confidentes. Foram utilizados os testes T de Student, Qui-quadrado e Regressão Logística. RESULTADOS: Dos 1.147 pacientes, 25,3% apresentavam depressão. Escolaridade [odds ratio (OR): 0,96; intervalo de confiança (IC): 0,89-0,96; p < 0,001], renda familiar (OR: 0,92; IC: 0,86-0,99; p = 0,018), maior intensidade de dor (OR: 1,04; IC: 1,00-1,08; p = 0,036), falta de apoio social (OR: 2,02; IC: 1,49-2,72; p < 0,001) e percepção de maior gravidade física (OR: 1,07; IC: 1,02-1,13; p = 0,008) se associaram independentemente à depressão. CONCLUSÃO: Pacientes clínicos deprimidos relatam mais falta de apoio social e dor, mesmo após controlar para variáveis confundidoras sociodemográficas e clínicas.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the association of depression, levels of pain and lack of social support in medical inpatients. METHODS: In a cross sectional observational study, 1,147 adults admitted to the general medical wards of a university hospital were randomized and evaluated during the first week of admission. The following instruments were used: cognitive-affective subscale of the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-13), Charlson Comorbidity Index and numerical scales to evaluate pain and perception of medical burden. Patients who scored > 10 in the BDI-13 were considered depressed. Social support was investigated asking the following question: "How many relatives or friends do you feel at easy and can talk about almost everything?". Those who had less than four relatives or close friends were considered as having lack of social support. The Student T test, Chi-square test and Logistic Regression analysis were used. RESULTS: Of the 1,147 patients that comprised the sample, 25.3% had depression. Educational level [odds ratio (OR): 0.96; confidence interval (CI): 0.89-0.96; p < 0.001], household income (OR: 0.92; CI: 0.86-0.99; p = 0.018), pain levels (OR: 1.04; CI: 1.00-1.08; p = 0.036), lack of social support (OR: 2.02; CI: 1.49-2.72; p < 0.001) and perception worse physical illness severity (OR: 1.07; CI: 1.02-1.13; p = 0.008) were independently associated with depression. CONCLUSION: Depressive medical inpatients report more lack of social support and pain even after controlling for social, demographic and clinical variables.

Ideação suicida em pacientes internados em enfermarias de clínica médica: prevalência e sintomas depressivos / Suicidal ideation in patients admitted to general medical wards: prevalence and associated depressive symptoms

OBJETIVO: Verificar a frequência de ideação suicida e os sintomas depressivos associados a ela nos pacientes internados em enfermarias de clínica médica. MÉTODOS: Todos os adultos consecutivamente admitidos nas enfermarias de clínica médica de um hospital universitário foram randomizados e avaliados durante a primeira semana de internação. Coletaram-se dados sociodemográficos e aplicaram-se: o Patient Health Questionnaire (a pergunta sobre ideação suicida), o Inventário Beck de Depressão e o índice Charlson de comorbidade física. Utilizaram-se os testes t de Student, do qui-quadrado e a regressão logística. RESULTADOS: Dos 1.092 sujeitos, 79 (7,2%) apresentaram ideação suicida. Na análise multivariada, foram capazes de discriminar esses pacientes, após controlar para sexo, idade, comorbidade física e presença de uma síndrome depressiva, os seguintes sintomas, quando presentes em intensidade moderada a grave: tristeza [RR: 3,18; IC 95% = 1,78-5,65; p < 0,001], sensação de fracasso [RR: 2,01; IC 95% = 1,09-3,72; p = 0,03], perda do interesse nas pessoas [RR: 2,69; IC 95% = 1,47-4,94; p = 0,001] e insônia [RR: 1,74; IC 95% = 1,05-2,89; p = 0,03]. CONCLUSÃO: Os pacientes internados no hospital geral em enfermarias clínicas apresentaram prevalência de 7,2% de ideação suicida. Alguns sintomas, quando presentes em intensidade moderada a grave, deveriam alertar ao clínico-geral para investigar a presença de ideação suicida: tristeza, sensação de fracasso, perda do interesse nas pessoas e insônia.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the prevalence of suicidal ideation and the depressive symptoms associated to it in medical inpatients. METHODS: All adults consecutively admitted to the medical wards of a University Hospital had their names recorded, were randomized and evaluated during the first week of admission. Socio-demographic data were collected and the Patient Health Questionnaire (question 9, assessing suicidal ideation), the Beck Depression Inventory and the Charlson comorbidity index were applied. The Student t test, chi-square test and logistic regression analysis were used. RESULTS: Of the 1,092 patients who composed the sample, 79 (7.2%) reported having suicidal ideation. In the multivariate analysis, after adjusting for gender, age, physical comorbidity and the presence of a depressive syndrome, the following symptoms when in moderate to severe degree discriminated patients who had suicidal ideation: sadness [RR: 3.18; CI 95% = 1.78-5.65; p < 0.001], feeling like a failure [RR: 2.01; CI 95% = 1.09-3.72; p = 0.03], loss of interest in people [RR: 2.69; CI 95% = 1.47-4.94; p = 0.001] and insomnia [RR: 1.74; CI 95% = 1.05-2.89; p = 0.03]. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of suicidal ideation in medical inpatients was 7.2%. When present in a moderate to severe degree, symptoms like sadness, feeling like a failure, loss of interest in people and insomnia should alert the medical team to assess suicidal ideation.

Diagnosticando depressão em pacientes internados com doenças hematológicas: prevalência e sintomas associados / Diagnosing depression among hematological impatients: prevalence and associated symptons

Introdução: não encontramos estudos avaliando o diagnóstico e a prevalência de depressão em pacientes hematológicos aqui no Brasil. Objetivo: verificar a prevalência dos sintomas depressivos e quais deles mais se associam à depressão em pacientes internados com doenças hematológicas. Métodos: num estudo transversal, 104 pacientes consecutivamente internados nos leitos da hematologia do Hospital Universitário da Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (HU/UFSC) foram avaliados. Foram preenchidos questionários de variáveis sociodemográficas e de história psiquiátrica. O índice Charlson de co-morbidade (IC) foi usado para medir gravidade física. Foi aplicado, também, o inventário Beck de depressão (BDI). Aqueles que tiveram pontuação acima de 9 na soma dos 13 primeiros itens do BDI(BDI-13) foram considerados deprimidos. Também foi verificada a freqüência caso fosse utilizada a escala completa com 21 itens (BDI-21), com ponto de corte 16/17. Resultados: as prevalências foram: BDI-13 = 25% e BDI-21 = 32,7%. Após controle para fatores de confusão, os sintomas que permaneceram no modelo de regressão logística, indicando que melhor detectavam os deprimidos, foram sensação de fracasso, anedonia, culpa e fadiga. Conclusão: cerca de um quarto a um terço dos pacientes internados com doenças hematológicas tinham sintomas depressivos significativos, e os sintomas que melhor os discriminaram foram sensação de fracasso, anedonia, culpa e fadiga.

Symptom Patterns of Depressive Disorder in the Elderly Medical Inpatients: Focused on Major Depressive Disorder

OBJECTS: Depressive symptoms are common in the elderly medical inpatients. But depressive disorders are considerably underdiagnosed and undertreated. Especially in major depressive disorder, patients show cognitive impairments and do not respond adequately to medical treatment. The goals of this study were to examine what are the patterns of depressive symptoms of major depressive disorders which differentiate from minor depressive disorders in the elderly medical inpatients. METHODS: A 4-month prospective study of 312 patients (65 years and older) was conducted in a general hospital. Depression was screened with Hamilton Depression Rating Scale and cognitive function was screened with Mini-Mental State Examination-K. The subjects were diagnosed according to DSM-IV for depression. And according to DSM-IV diagnosis, HDRS and MMSE-K subscales were analysed. RESULTS: In the 228 patients who were investigated, 16 (7%) patients were major depressive disorder, 53 (23%) were minor depressive disorder. Females were more depressed than males but there was no statistical significance. While the patients of major depressive disorder complained of depression and anxiety, the control subjects complained of loss of body weight, somatic symptoms and somatic anxiety, and the minor depressive disorders shows mixed symptoms of the two. The complaining frequency of the somatic symptoms and somatic anxiety were similar among the three groups. Significant differences were found among the three groups in terms of HDRS total scores. Among the three groups in terms of HDRS subscale scores all subscale scores except for the genital symptoms and body weight were significantly high in depressive disorders. Initial insomnia (p<0.01), middle insomnia (p<0.05), GI symptoms (p<0.01) and somatic symptomgeneral (p<0.05) were significantly different between the control subjects and the depressive disorder group. The subscales of terminal insomnia, agitation and loss of insight were significantly different between the minor depressives and major depressives (p<0.01), but no difference between the control subjects and the minor depressives. MMSE total scores were significantly correlated in major depressive disorders among the 3 groups. Comparing subscales of the three groups, significant correlation were found in time orientation, attention and calculation (p<0.05) and language (p<0.01). CONCLUSION: Major depressive disorder patients in elderly medical inpatients chiefly complained of depression and anxiety, but they also complained somatic symptoms. If elderly medical inpatients complain of agitation, terminal insomnia, cognitive impairment associated with depressive symptoms, consultants will pay attention for the major depressive disorders. This study suggests that further systematic study is necessary for the recognition of major depressive disorder in the elderly medical inpatients.

Depressive tendency in medical inpatients

BACKGROUND: Depressive symptoms are common in the medically ill patients although depressive disorders are considerably underdiagnosed and undertreated. Therefore, we examined the characteristics of depressive tendency in medical inpatients. METHODS: The patient group-144 subj.cts(90 males, 54 females) were selected from medical inpatients of Kae Jung hospital. 158 subjects(106 male, 52 females) with no prior history of diseases were selected for the control group. The Beck Depression Inventory(BDI) and Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression(HRSD) was used for both groups from June to December 1997. RESULTS: The patient group had a significant higher BDI and HRSD score than controls(p<0.01). In the patients, 31.3% had scores on the BDI greater than the cutting score of 21, and 26.4% had scores on the HRSD greater than the cutting score of 22. In the patients, demographic and medical variables were evaluated with respect to depression. those in their 60's, with education level of elementary school and below. the divorced, bereaved and separated, and having duration of illness more than one year were statistically more depressed, but depression was not associated with sex, religion and medical diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS: This study indicates that depressive tendency may be a common phenomena in medically ill patients. Therefore, we should suspect depression in the management of these patients.

Dementia and Delirium Among Elderly Patients in a General Hospital Medical Ward / 신경정신의학

OBJECTS:The authors attempted to estimate the prevalence of cognitive impairments (dementia and delirium) among elderly patients, the main causes of delirium, and the extent of physicians' recognition of cognitive impairment in a general hospital medical ward. METHODS: A 4-month prospective study of 312 patients(65 years and older) was conducted with cognitive function screened with Mini-Mental State Examination-K and the Confusion Assessment Method. The subjects were diagnosed according to DSM-IV criteria for dementia and delirium. The physicians' assessment of cognitive capacity was done through the chart review for recording cognitive deficits. RESULTS: In thirty-three(13.87%) of the 238 patients, cognitive impairment was present. It was further diagnosis as dementia in 19(13.9%) patients or delirium in 14(8.0%) patients. The mean length of hospital stay in all age groups was 13.1 +/- 10.6 days with no differences among the 3 groups(dementia, delirium, and control) The main causes for delirium were infection, metabolic disorder, cerebrovascular accident and alcohol withdrawl. The recovery of delirium was observed of 10 of 14 patients before discharge. Regarding the physicians' recognition of cognitive impairment, delirious symptoms were recorded in 9 of 14 patients and dementic symptoms were recorded in only one patient. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that further systematic assessment is necessary to improve physicians recognition of cognitive impairments in the elderly medical inpatients.