Riesgo de delirium durante la hospitalización en personas mayores: desarrollo y validación de un modelo de predicción clínica / Development and validation of a clinical predictive model for delirium in hospitalized older people

Background: Delirium is a prevalent problem among older patients and it is frequently underdiagnosed. Aim: To develop and validate a clinical predictive model to identify patients at high risk of delirium. Material and Methods: Two consecutive prospective cohort studies were used to develop and validate the model. The development cohort included 542 consecutive medical inpatients, 65 years or older. The validation cohort included 85 comparable patients. A predictive score was constructed with a multivariate analysis, using variables independently associated with delirium and subsequently tested in the new cohort. Patients were assessed within the first 48 hours of admission, and every 48 hours thereafter, using the Confusion Assessment Method to diagnose delirium, evaluating also the severity of underlying disease, comorbidities, functionality, and laboratory data. Results: Delirium occurred in 192 patients (35.4%) of the development cohort and was independently associated with age and functional status assessed using the Barthel Index. With these two variables, the predictive score for delirium was developed and tested rendering an area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) of 0.80 (confidence intervals 0.77-0.85). Cut-off points were chosen to establish low, intermediate, and high-risk groups for delirium. According to these cut-off points, delirium frequencies in the development cohort were 8%, 23%, and 69%, and in the validation cohort 5%, 34%, and 66%, respectively (c² p < 0.05). Conclusions: This simple predictive model based on age and functional status may be a useful tool for identifying older patients risking delirium.

Aspectos psicológicos de la rehabilitación pulmonar en el paciente con enfermedad pulmonar obstructiva crónica / Psychological aspects of pulmonary rehabilitation in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

We present a review of the literature available on the psychological issues of the rehabilitation of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The review is organized around four main themes. First, we present the more commonly psychological manifestations described among patients with COPD, in particular depression and anxiety. Second, we discuss some psychosocial factors that may influence the treatment and course of the disease, including the following: social support, illness beliefs, self-efficacy and self- management (human agency). Third, we present treatments and interventions that are considered to be effective for the management of these psychological disorders in patients with COPD and discuss the evidence. The chapter ends with a discussion about the influence of the pulmonary rehabilitation on the psychological and psychiatric symptoms that these patients present.

Se realiza una revisión de la literatura sobre los aspectos psicológicos de la rehabilitación pulmonar en pacientes con enfermedad pulmonar obstructiva crónica (EPOC). La revisión está organizada en cuatro temas centrales. Primero, se presentan las manifestaciones psicológicas más habituales descritas en pacientes con EPOC, en particular trastornos depresivos y ansiosos. Segundo, se discuten algunos factores psicosociales que pueden influir en el tratamiento y curso de la enfermedad, incluyendo las siguientes: apoyo social, creencias de enfermedad, autoeficacia y autogestión en salud. Tercero, se presentan los tratamientos y las intervenciones que se consideran son más efectivas para el manejo de estos trastornos psicológicos en pacientes con EPOC y se discute su evidencia. El capítulo termina con una discusión sobre la influencia de la rehabilitación pulmonar en la sintomatología psicológica y psiquiátrica de estos pacientes.

Trastornos psiquiátricos y cognitivos de la hepatitis C y su tratamiento con interferón / Psychiatric and cognitive problems associated to hepatitis C and its treatment with interferon

This article is a literature search about the psychopathology related to hepatitis C and its treatment with interferon. An overview of the methodology of the available studies is presented. New theories for a better understanding and diagnosis of the psychiatric alteration associated to hepatitis C or interferon treatment are proposed, to improve future research. We discuss neurobiological aspects, clinical manifestations, psychosocial features and pharmacotherapy of the psychiatric manifestations of hepatitis C and its treatment with interferon.