[Effectiveness and efficiency of acute geriatric units: A classic topic revisited]. / Eficacia y eficiencia de las unidades geriátricas de agudos: un tópico clásico revisitado.

Previous meta-analyses have shown that the hospital admission of older patients in acute geriatric units (AGU) compared to admission to other conventional units, significantly reduced the risk of functional deterioration during hospitalization, increasing the possibility of returning home, with an added reduction in cost of hospitalization. A new meta-analysis on the subject has recently been published in Age and Aging, which adds six new studies to the five clinical trials analyzed in previous meta-analyses. This article analyzes the results of this new meta-analysis, delving into the characteristics of the new studies included and making some considerations on the implications for care in the future development of AGU.

Eficacia y eficiencia de las unidades geriátricas de agudos: un tópico clásico revisitado / Effectiveness and efficiency of acute geriatric units: A classic topic revisited

Metaanálisis previos han mostrado que el ingreso hospitalario de pacientes de edad avanzada en unidades geriátricas de agudos (UGA), comparado con el ingreso en otras unidades convencionales, disminuía de forma significativa el riesgo de deterioro funcional durante la hospitalización, aumentando la posibilidad de volver al domicilio previo al alta, con una reducción añadida del coste de la hospitalización. Recientemente se ha publicado en Age and Ageing un nuevo metaanálisis sobre el tema que añade seis nuevos estudios a los cinco ensayos clínicos analizados en metaanálisis previos. En este artículo se analizan los resultados de este nuevo metaanálisis, profundizando en las características de los nuevos estudios incluidos y realizando algunas consideraciones sobre las implicaciones asistenciales en el desarrollo futuro de las UGA. (AU)

Previous meta-analyses have shown that the hospital admission of older patients in acute geriatric units (AGU) compared to admission to other conventional units, significantly reduced the risk of functional deterioration during hospitalization, increasing the possibility of returning home, with an added reduction in cost of hospitalization. A new meta-analysis on the subject has recently been published in Age and Aging, which adds six new studies to the five clinical trials analyzed in previous meta-analyses. This article analyzes the results of this new meta-analysis, delving into the characteristics of the new studies included and making some considerations on the implications for care in the future development of AGU. (AU)