Tracking tool for frailty: ABCDEF.

The aging population leads to psychological, medical and social reflection for optimal care of the elderly, especially characterized by a frailty state. The frailty is the cause of morbi-mortality require screening to anticipate these complications. The objective was to evaluate the statistical performance and feasibility of the tool "ABCDEF" to screen frailty defined by Fried's criteria. A prospective multicenter study including 300 ambulatory elderly consultants was conducted. ABCDEF appears feasible without major prior training or special equipment by any doctor or caregiver during an assessment in 98% of consultants. His sensitivity to detect frailty, is of 75% and specificity of 64%. The frailty tracking threshold is 3 criteria (6). Its negative predictive value is interesting because it eliminates the hypothesis of frailty in 91% of cases. This tracking tool requires, when abnormal, further geriatric assessment. It provides a standardized and normative approach to describe frailty whose frequency is high in people older than 80 and whose consequences are major.

[Anaemia and chronic diseases]. / Anémie et maladies chroniques.

The prevalence of anemia in old patients is 20%. Anemia is mostly multifactorial associated with multiple comorbidities that are frequently observed in people of 65 years or older. Chronic renal failure, inflammatory diseases, nutrient deficiencies and especially iron deficiency are the most associated conditions with anemia. Anemia represents a prognosis marker of general health in old people. Thus anemia is associated with higher rates of morbidities (such as unplanned hospitalizations) and greatest mortality. Therefore anemia could be considered either as a consequence of chronic diseases or a prognosis marker of their severity. The prognosis of chronic cardiac failure is for example worst in anemic patients. Finally anemia is listed as a component of the frailty.