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 Hôtel-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% Cl: 64.9-76 .0)].
