Clinical Research Directory

Assessing the Relationship Between Frailty and Skeletal Muscle Thickness in Critically Ill Patients

Assessment of muscle mass in critically ill patients is critical for both improving clinical outcomes and monitoring the effectiveness of nutritional interventions. Loss of muscle mass is associated with mortality and morbidity in the elderly, including organ transplantation, trauma, and sepsis. Previous studies have assessed muscle mass using computed tomography. The use of computed tomography is costly, carries radiation risks, and requires the patient to be transported to a CT scanner. In contrast, ultrasonography is a noninvasive, rapid, and bedside method without radiation exposure. In particular, anterior thigh muscle thickness (ATMT) stands out as a reliable biomarker in the assessment of muscle mass. ATMT measurement includes the assessment of the combined depth of the vastus intermedius and rectus femoris muscles in the anterior thigh. There is no study in the literature examining the effects of anterior thigh muscle thickness measured by ultrasonography on malnutrition and frailty in intensive care patients. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effects of anterior thigh muscle thickness on frailty, malnutrition and length of stay in intensive care patients.

Investigation of the Relationship Between Nutritional Status Assessment and Frailty in Critical Care Patients

This study aims to understand the effects of these two parameters on clinical outcomes by examining the relationship between NUTRIC and CONUT scores in intensive care patients. The results of the study may contribute to the development of new approaches to the treatment process of patients by better understanding the relationship between nutritional status and pre-hospital frailty in intensive care units. In addition, eliminating the deficiencies in this area will pave the way for the creation of more effective and personalized treatment plans for similar patients.

Frailty and Outcomes in Older Emergency Department Patients With Pneumonia

Pneumonia is one of the leading causes of infection-related mortality in the older population. Traditional severity scores used in emergency departments, such as the Pneumonia Severity Index (PSI) and CURB-65, primarily focus on acute physiological derangements and may not adequately capture biological reserve and frailty in older adults. Frailty is a geriatric syndrome reflecting increased vulnerability to stressors and reduced recovery capacity. This prospective observational cohort study aims to evaluate the predictive value of the Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS) for in-hospital mortality, 30-day mortality, and morbidity in patients aged 65 years and older presenting to the emergency department with pneumonia. Additionally, the study will assess whether incorporating frailty assessment into existing pneumonia severity scores improves prognostic accuracy.

The Effect of Frailty on Hypotension After Anesthesia Induction

Frailty is defined as a state of weakness resulting from a decrease in physiological reserves due to physiological changes, diseases, and/or malnutrition associated with advancing age. Frail older adults face increased mortality, morbidity, and healthcare costs when exposed to stressors, making this issue increasingly important. The FRAIL Scale, developed by Morley et al. , is a 5-item measure that assesses frailty. The FRAIL Scale has been validated in many countries and has been proven to be an effective method for detecting frailty. This scale assesses the patient's fatigue, resistance, mobility, weight loss, and other diseases. In the 5-item FRAIL scale, patients receive 0 or 1 point based on their answers, and a total of 0 points is considered non-frail, 1-2 points is considered pre-frail, and \>2 points is considered frail. Frailty is associated with a higher risk of postoperative complications. Rothenberg and colleagues reported in a study involving more than 400,000 patients that frailty doubles the risk of postoperative complications . Hypotension following anesthesia induction is a common complication in geriatric patients. Decreased cardiopulmonary reserve with age leads to an exaggerated drop in blood pressure during induction . In this study, the investigators aimed to determine the effect of frailty level in geriatric patients on hypotension observed after anesthesia induction.

Implementation of the MOX Activity Monitor in Hospitalized Geriatric Rehabilitation

Staying active is essential for healthy aging, but hospitalized older adults in rehabilitation often move very little. This study explores how much physical activity these patients actually get and how it relates to their recovery. Using the MOX activity monitor-a device that accurately tracks walking, standing, and sedentary time-the study aims to better understand daily activity patterns during rehabilitation. Researchers will test the best way to use the MOX monitor, develop a standard protocol for its use, and integrate its data into patients' electronic health records. By comparing MOX activity data with standard measures of physical performance, the study will determine how useful activity monitoring is for tracking recovery in older patients. This could lead to improved care and more personalized rehabilitation plans in the future.

Correlation of Euroscore-II, STS Risk Scoring Systems and Frailty Tests with Cardiac Histopathological Findings in Coronary Bypass Surgery

Various risk classification systems are used to predict postoperative mortality and morbidity development in cardiac surgery. Risk calculation with these systems is a guide in determining preoperative strategies, performing cost analyses, creating different treatment options and classifying diseases according to their severity. In recent years, tests defined as Frailty, which show how independently a person can perform daily living activities and are also associated with postoperative complications, have also been used. These tests allow for a personalized approach such as determining the most appropriate treatment options and pre- and postoperative rehabilitation. This study aims to evaluate the risk scores used to predict mortality during the preoperative preparation process in cases planned for elective Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (CABG) using the European System for Cardiac Operative Risk Evaluation (Euroscore)-II and Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) as well as Frailty with the Katz Index and modified Rockwood Clinical Frailty Scale, and to correlate the findings obtained from the histopathological study of the tissue sample taken from the right atrium during the operation with the test results. Secondary objectives are to investigate the compatibility of the age-related changes detected histopathologically with chronological age, to reveal which of the Frailty tests used gives better results in predicting mortality, and on the other hand, to reveal the relationship between Frailty tests and STS and Euroscore-II.