Therese S. Richmond

Characteristics and outcomes of serious traumatic injury in older adults.

OBJECTIVES: To describe the seriously injured older adult; characterize and compare the differences in injury characteristics and outcomes in three subgroups of seriously injured older adults: aged 65 to 74, 75 to 84, and 85 and older; and identify risk factors for death, complications, and discharge placement at hospital discharge.

Neighborhoods, daily activities, and measuring health risks experienced in urban environments.

Studies of place and health often classify a subjects exposure status according to that which is present in their neighborhood of residence. Ones neighborhood is often proxied by designating it to be an administratively defined unit such as census tract, to make analysis feasible. Although it is understood that residential space and actual lived space may not correspond and therefore exposure misclassification may result, few studies have the opportunity to investigate the implications of this issue concretely. A population-based case-control study that is currently underway provides one such opportunity. Adolescent victims of assault in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, and a control sample of adolescents drawn randomly from the community are being enrolled to study how alcohol consumption and time spent nearby alcohol outlets - individual-level and environmental-level risk factors for violence, respectively - over the course of daily activities relate to the likelihood of being assaulted. Data from a rapport-building exercise consist of hand-drawn sketches that subjects drew on street maps when asked to indicate the area considered their neighborhood. The main data consist of self-reported, detailed paths of the routes adolescents traveled from one location to the next over the course of one full day. Having noticed interesting patterns as the data collection phase proceeds, we present here an analysis conducted with the data of 55 control subjects between 15 and 19 years old. We found that hand-drawn neighborhoods and activity paths did not correspond to census tract boundaries, and time subjects spent in close proximity to alcohol outlets during their daily activities was not correlated with the prevalence of alcohol outlets in the census tract of their residence. This served as a useful example demonstrating how classifying subjects as exposed based solely on the prevalence of the exposure in the geographic area of their residence may misrepresent the exposure that is etiologically meaningful.

Urban–Rural Shifts in Intentional Firearm Death: Different Causes, Same Results

OBJECTIVES We analyzed urban-rural differences in intentional firearm death. METHODS We analyzed 584629 deaths from 1989 to 1999 assigned to 3141 US counties, using negative binomial regressions and an 11-category urban-rural variable. RESULTS The most urban counties had 1.03 (95% confidence interval [CI]=0.87, 1.20) times the adjusted firearm death rate of the most rural counties. The most rural counties experienced 1.54 (95% CI=1.29, 1.83) times the adjusted firearm suicide rate of the most urban. The most urban counties experienced 1.90 (95% CI=1.50, 2.40) times the adjusted firearm homicide rate of the most rural. Similar opposing trends were not found for nonfirearm suicide or homicide. CONCLUSIONS Firearm suicide in rural counties is as important a public health problem as firearm homicide in urban counties. Policymakers should become aware that intentional firearm deaths affect all types of communities in the United States.

Outcomes Associated With Delirium in Older Patients in Surgical ICUs

BACKGROUND We previously noted that older adults admitted to surgical ICUs (SICUs) are at high risk for delirium. In the current study, we describe the association between the presence of delirium and complications in older SICU patients, and describe the association between delirium occurring in the SICU and functional ability and discharge placement for older patients. METHODS Secondary analysis of prospective, observational, cohort study. Subjects were 114 consecutive patients >or= 65 years old admitted to a surgical critical care service. All subjects underwent daily delirium and sedation/agitation screening during hospitalization. Outcomes prospectively recorded included SICU complication development, discharge location, and functional ability (as measured by the Katz activities of daily living instrument). RESULTS Nearly one third of older adults (31.6%) admitted to an SICU had a complication during ICU stay. There was a strong association between SICU delirium and complication occurrence (p = 0.001). Complication occurrence preceded delirium diagnosis for 16 of 20 subjects. Subjects with delirium in the SICU were more likely to be discharged to a place other than home (61.3% vs 20.5%, p < 0.0001) and have greater functional decline (67.7% vs 43.6%, p = 0.023) than nondelirious subjects. After adjusting for covariates including severity of illness and mechanical ventilation use, delirium was found to be strongly and independently associated with greater odds of being discharged to a place other than home (odds ratio, 7.20; 95% confidence interval, 1.93 to 26.82). CONCLUSIONS Delirium in older surgical ICU patients is associated with complications and an increased likelihood of discharge to a place other than home.

An explanatory model of functional status in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

The purpose of this study was to test an explanatory model of variables influencing functional status in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The sample consisted of 104 patients with COPD (85 males, 19 females, mean age = 65.5, SD = 7.7). The variables in the initial model were age, length of illness, pulmonary function, oxygen desaturation during exercise, dyspnea, depressed mood, anxiety, self-esteem, exercise capacity, and functional status. Path analysis revealed that exercise capacity (beta = .337, p = .0007), dyspnea (beta = .324, p = .0009), and depressed mood (beta = -.204, p = .011) directly influenced functional status Dyspnea (beta = .488, p < .0001), depression (beta = -.217, p = .003), and pulmonary function (beta = .421, p < .0001) indirectly influenced functional status through exercise capacity. Self-esteem (beta = -.492, p = .004) and anxiety (beta = .696, p < .0001) indirectly influenced functional status through depressed mood. The findings of this study suggest that efforts to improve functional status of individuals with COPD should focus on interventions that influence exercise capacity, dyspnea, anxiety, and depressed mood.

Investigating the Link Between Gun Possession and Gun Assault

OBJECTIVES We investigated the possible relationship between being shot in an assault and possession of a gun at the time. METHODS We enrolled 677 case participants that had been shot in an assault and 684 population-based control participants within Philadelphia, PA, from 2003 to 2006. We adjusted odds ratios for confounding variables. RESULTS After adjustment, individuals in possession of a gun were 4.46 (P < .05) times more likely to be shot in an assault than those not in possession. Among gun assaults where the victim had at least some chance to resist, this adjusted odds ratio increased to 5.45 (P < .05). CONCLUSIONS On average, guns did not protect those who possessed them from being shot in an assault. Although successful defensive gun uses occur each year, the probability of success may be low for civilian gun users in urban areas. Such users should reconsider their possession of guns or, at least, understand that regular possession necessitates careful safety countermeasures.

Alcohol consumption, alcohol outlets, and the risk of being assaulted with a gun

BACKGROUND We conducted a population-based case-control study to better delineate the relationship between individual alcohol consumption, alcohol outlets in the surrounding environment, and being assaulted with a gun. METHODS An incidence density sampled case-control study was conducted in the entire city of Philadelphia from 2003 to 2006. We enrolled 677 cases that had been shot in an assault and 684 population-based controls. The relationships between 2 independent variables of interest, alcohol consumption and alcohol outlet availability, and the outcome of being assaulted with a gun were analyzed. Conditional logistic regression was used to adjust for numerous confounding variables. RESULTS After adjustment, heavy drinkers were 2.67 times as likely to be shot in an assault when compared with nondrinkers (p < 0.10) while light drinkers were not at significantly greater risk of being shot in an assault when compared with nondrinkers. Regression-adjusted analyses also demonstrated that being in an area of high off-premise alcohol outlet availability significantly increased the risk of being shot in an assault by 2.00 times (p < 0.05). Being in an area of high on-premise alcohol outlet availability did not significantly change this risk. Heavy drinkers in areas of high off-premise alcohol outlet availability were 9.34 times (p < 0.05) as likely to be shot in an assault. CONCLUSIONS This study finds that the gun assault risk to individuals who are near off-premise alcohol outlets is about the same as or statistically greater than the risk they incur from heavy drinking. The combination of heavy drinking and being near off-premise outlets resulted in greater risk than either factor alone. By comparison, light drinking and being near on-premise alcohol outlets were not associated with increased risks for gun assault. Cities should consider addressing alcohol-related factors, especially off-premise outlets, as highly modifiable and politically feasible approaches to reducing gun violence.

Predictors of Psychological Distress Following Serious Injury

Posttraumatic psychological distress was assessed in 109 survivors of serious physical injury during acute hospitalization and at 3 months postdischarge. Participants had an average of 4.4 injuries, with a mean injury severity score of 15.5, denoting moderate to severe injuries. Using the Impact of Event Scale (IES), the mean total IES score in-hospital was 22.5 and at 3 months postdischarge was 30.6. Approximately 32% of individuals experienced high levels of distress in-hospital, and this increased to 49% at 3 months postdischarge. The regression model that best explained the variance in posttraumatic psychological distress at 3 months postdischarge included greater psychological distress during hospitalization, a positive drug/alcohol screen on hospital admission, younger age, and the lack of anticipating problems returning to normal life activities. These findings suggest that factors present during acute hospitalization may be used to identify individuals at risk for increased psychological distress, several months following serious physical injury.

A prospective study of predictors of disability at 3 months after non-central nervous system trauma

OBJECTIVE To delineate which injury-related, demographic, and psychosocial variables were predictive of severe disability (limitations in the performance of socially defined roles and tasks) at 3 months after discharge from acute hospitalization for non-central nervous system traumatic injury. PATIENTS AND METHODS The study design was prospective, longitudinal, and correlational. The sample consisted of 109 injured patients at three urban trauma centers. Data were obtained from patient interview using the Sickness Impact Profile, the Impact of Event Scale, and the Social Support Questionnaire; injury-related data were obtained from the medical record and computerized trauma registries. RESULTS The sample had a mean age of 37.4 +/- 16.8 years, a mean number of injuries per person of 4.4 +/- 2.8, and a mean Injury Severity Score of 15.5 +/- 9.9. Motor vehicle crashes (34.9%) and violent injuries (33%) were the predominant causes of injuries. Patients experienced severe levels of disability (Sickness Impact Profile, mean = 26.1) and moderate levels of psychological distress (Impact of Event Scale, mean = 30.6; intrusion mean = 14.6 and avoidance mean = 16.0). Three variables were predictive of severe disability at 3 months: high levels of intrusive thoughts (odds ratio, 2.9; 95% confidence interval, 1.1-7.7); injury with a maximal Abbreviated Injury Scale score in an extremity (odds ratio, 2.9; 95% confidence interval, 1.2-6.9); and having not graduated from high school (odds ratio, 3.4; 95% confidence interval, 1.2-10). CONCLUSION Extremity injuries, lack of high school graduation, and high level of posttraumatic psychological distress with intrusive thoughts are risk factors for severe disability at 3 months after discharge from the hospital.

Characteristics and outcomes of injured older adults after hospital admission.

OBJECTIVES: To describe the seriously injured adult population aged 65 and older; compare the differences in injury characteristics and outcomes in three subgroups aged 65 to 74, 75 to 84, and 85 and older; and identify predictors of death, complications, and hospital discharge destination.