THE ORAL HEALTH STATUS OF OLDER PATIENTS IN THE ACUTE CARE HOSPITAL SETTING: A PILOT STUDY
| Autor: | K. Khow, C. McNally, Robert J. Adams, Renuka Visvanathan, S. Liberali, P. Shibu |
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| Jazyk: | angličtina |
| Rok vydání: | 2017 |
| Předmět: |
medicine.medical_specialty
Hip fracture Health (social science) Referral Inpatient care business.industry Medical record Oral health medicine.disease Health Professions (miscellaneous) stomatognathic diseases Abstracts Swallowing Acute care Family medicine Emergency medicine Health care medicine Life-span and Life-course Studies business |
| Popis: | Oral health is known to be of low priority to older people with many people not seeking care until they are in pain. The acute hospital setting provides a unique opportunity to conduct a comprehensive dental assessment and develop discharge oral care plans for patients who may otherwise not seek dental care. This cross-sectional study was implemented over a 12-month period at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (TQEH), Adelaide. Patients were recruited from the Fracture Ward and Geriatric Evaluation and Management Unit (GEMU). General health data was collected from patient interviews and medical records and a comprehensive dental assessment was conducted. Seventy-five patients aged 84.2 ± 6.7 (mean ±SD) years agreed to participate. Fifty-five (71%) female Twenty-two (29%) experienced a hip fracture, the remaining were admitted for worsening of their general health. Patients had 6.25 ± 2.9 medical comorbidities and were taking 8.6 ± 4.4 medications. Twenty-four (32%) patients wore full dentures, 21 (28%) had natural teeth. One quarter (n=19) reported difficulty chewing and swallowing their food. Over half of the patients had not seen a dentist for more than two years yet 55 (73%) patients were considered in need of referral. It is evident from this pilot work, that older people have significant dental problems and are not seeking regular dental care. It appears prudent to consider the inclusion of a dental health assessment as part of general inpatient care. The results of this study also indicate the need for intervention studies that incorporate preventive and restorative management of oral health prior to discharge. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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