Abstract
Early recognition and prompt treatment of a serious infection is important to optimize
prognosis in older patients. The current evidence base underpinning this early recognition
in ambulatory care is scattered and haphazard, calling for new research to strengthen
clinical practice. Before embarking on such studies, it is important to seek consensus
on what constitutes a serious infection in older patients presenting to ambulatory
care. We conducted a 4-round e-Delphi study seeking consensus among medical professionals
who deliver clinical care to older patients using online questionnaires and feedback.
Twenty-two specialists in emergency care, general practice, geriatrics, and infectious
diseases from 10 different countries participated in our study. We constructed 18
statements from the answers to the open questions in round 1, which were then rated
by the participants in 2 consecutive rounds. After assessing the level of agreement,
consensus, and stability, the following definition was preferred by 94% of the participants:
“A serious infection in a geriatric patient presenting to ambulatory care is an infection
with a high risk of complications, functional decline, and/or mortality, requiring
a prompt diagnostic and therapeutic approach in the appropriate care setting. The
most important determinants of the choice of setting are the level of emergency, the
geriatric profile of the patient (frailty status, functional status, and comorbidities),
and the patients’ level of autonomy and personal preferences. Factors such as the
feasibility of home care, the potential consequences of delayed or suboptimal treatment
and infection specific treatment requirements should be weighed as well when choosing
the appropriate care setting.” Based on consensus among 22 clinicians working in 10
different countries, we propose a definition for serious infections in geriatric patients
presenting to ambulatory care. This will form the basis of future studies in this
domain.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: February 25, 2020
Footnotes
This research was funded by the Research Foundation Flanders [Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek (FWO), Odysseus program, grant number G0H8518N]. The financial sponsor played no role in the design, execution, analysis, and interpretation of data, or in the writing of the study.
The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
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© 2020 Published by Elsevier Inc. on behalf of AMDA - The Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine.
