Predictive variables of mortality in elderly patients after hospitalization. Significance of multidimensional evaluation

: Functional status evaluation in the elderly is stronger predictor of hospital outcomes than type and number of pathology. Multidimensional and functional assessment among hospitalized elderly allows to identify, as well as acute and chronic illness, disabilities of sanitary problems and socio-economical aspects that in the elderly can complicate illness. Our study has identified six-month mortality post hospitalization of 20.2%. The high mortality observed in our follow-up agrees with the literature and it is a marker of considerable frailty among elderly patients. The independent predictor variables of six month post hospital mortality in the study were: male gender, dependence DMI score, low serum albumin (2.8 g/dl), impaired IADL score, cancer illness and APACHE score < 13.7. These measures represent distinct domains: demographic, functional and clinical. Identifying predictors of high-risk patients is an important way in accurate targeting.