Clinical Interventions in Aging (Nov 2020)
Dementia Diagnoses and Treatment in Geriatric Ward Patients: A Cross-Sectional Study in Poland
Abstract
Zyta Beata Wojszel1,2 1Department of Geriatrics, Medical University of Bialystok, Bialystok, Poland; 2Department of Geriatrics, Hospital of the Ministry of Interior in Bialystok, Bialystok, PolandCorrespondence: Zyta Beata WojszelDepartment of Geriatrics, Medical University of Bialystok, Fabryczna Str. 27, Bialystok 15-471, PolandTel +48 85 869 4982Email [email protected]: The study aimed to determine the prevalence of dementia, its types, and treatment in geriatric ward patients.Patients and Methods: A cross-sectional study of 406 patients (77.8% women, median age 82, IQR (77– 86) years) who underwent a comprehensive geriatric assessment in one of the Polish hospitals between September 2014 and April 2015 was conducted.Results: Dementia was diagnosed in 132 (32.5%) patients (46% mixed dementia; 32% Alzheimer’s disease; 10%vascular dementia; 5% dementia in Parkinson’s disease; 4% frontotemporal; 3% atypical parkinsonism). A total of 95 (72%) dementia cases were not detected before, and in the above half of these patients, it was not mentioned in the referral document. Only 33.3% of dementia patients were on cognitive enhancers (donepezil, rivastigmine, or memantine); 36.4% received antipsychotics, 45.5% received anti-depressants, 25.8% received nootropics, and 16.7% received anxiolytics/hypnotics.Discussion: The results confirmed the high incidence of underdiagnoses and undertreatment of dementia in patients admitted to the geriatric ward. It is partly due to the lack of systematic cognitive assessment in primary care settings, although other factors can play a role.Keywords: comprehensive geriatric assessment, geriatric ward, dementia diagnosis, dementia treatment, anti-dementia medications, cognitive enhancers, psychotropic medications, antipsychotics, anti-depressants, underdiagnoses, undertreatment
