Clinical significance of anemia in frail elderly patients admitted to the acute elderly care unit

Kim, Eun Il; Suh, Ye Won; Jung, Su Hyun; Kim, Eun Young; Kim, Hye Young; Park, Myung Sook; Yu, Ki Dong; Kim, Kwang Il; Kim, Cheol Ho

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Anemia is a common medical problem among the elderly; it is more frequent with advancing age. Anemia has been associated with adverse outcomes such as hospitalization, disability and mortality. However, the clinical significance of anemia in frail elderly patients, especially those admitted to acute care units, has not been investigated.
METHODS
From May 2004 to April 2005, 308 patients 65 years of age or older, admitted to the Acute Elderly Care Unit at the Seoul National University Bundang hospital, were enrolled in the current study. Comprehensive geriatric assessment including medical, psychosocial and functional evaluation was performed by the geriatric team. Clinical and laboratory evaluations were carried out to determine the prevalence and etiology of the anemia.
RESULTS
Anemia (Hb < 13 g/dL in male, < 12 g/dL in female) was identified in 149 patients (48.4%). The leading cause of anemia was anemia of chronic disease (N=75, 50.3%). Comparison between the anemic group and a control group was performed. Anemic patients were older, male, had an impaired functional status as well as a poor nutritional status. Moreover, the development of delirium was more frequent in the anemic group compared to the control group (11.0% vs 20.7%, p=0.021). In addition, the duration of hospitalization was significantly increased in patients with anemia (12.97+/-1.24 vs 18.07+/-1.77, p=0.019). However, in the multiple regression analysis, the presence of anemia did not affect the length of hospitalization as an independent factor.
CONCLUSIONS
Anemia is common in frail elderly patients and has been associated with a poor clinical outcome. Although anemia was not an independent risk factor in the elderly patients, the anemia was associated with multiple co-morbidities, disability and frailty. Therefore, the presence of anemia in the elderly requires active investigation and management.