Tal et al identified risk factors for mortality of an elderly patient in the hospital. The authors are from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Kaplan Medical Center in Rehovot, Israel.
Patient selection: hospitalized adult >= 65 years of age
Predictors of mortality while in the hospital:
(1) older age (90 to 102 greater than 80 to 89 which is greater than 65 to 79)
(2) elevated serum vitamin B12 (alive 148 to 655 pmol/L; dead 296 to 900)
(3) low serum albumin (alive 3.1 to 4.1 g/dL; dead 2.3 to 3.5)
highest quartile vitamin B12 AND lowest quartile albumin
Mortality
age 65 to 79
15%
age 80 to 89
22%
age 90 to 102
43%
Other factors such as frailty and the severity of underlying disease may contribute to mortality.
Performance:
• Values for vitamin B12 are affected by the assay so a z-score would be more useful.
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