Sepsis and Cognitive Impairment in the Elderly

 

Cognitive impairment and physical disability are increasingly recognized among intensive care unit patients, and they are particularly apparent in certain survivors of critical illness. [1-4] Iwashyna and colleagues sought to determine whether cognitive dysfunction and physical disability are major health burdens to patients and their families after an episode of severe sepsis. [5,6] This prospective cohort study evaluated 516 patients who survived severe sepsis and 4517 who survived a nonsepsis hospitalization. The prevalence of moderate-to-severe cognitive impairment increased 10.6% among severe sepsis patients, with an odds ratio of 3.34, and a high rate of new functional limitations following severe sepsis that persisted for at least 8 years. In contrast, nonsepsis hospitalizations were not associated with cognitive impairment or with new limitations. The investigators concluded that severe sepsis in older patients was independently associated with substantial, persistent cognitive impairments and functional disability among survivors.

-Full summary and viewpoint at Medscape.com…

 

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