Table 1.
Demographic and clinical features of patients in both groups at baseline
| Patient characteristics | CAMIE unit (n = 170) n (%) |
Control group (n = 60) n (%) |
t or χ2 | P value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gender (females) | 92 (54.10) | 34 (56.70) | χ2(1, N = 230) = 0.12 | .733 |
| Age in years, mean ± SD | 82.45 ± 7.96 | 84.37 ± 5.96 | t(228) = −1.70 | .090 |
| Ethnicity | χ2(3, N = 230) = 0.54 | .909 | ||
| Chinese | 118 (69.40) | 40 (66.70) | ||
| Malay | 30 (17.60) | 10 (16.70) | ||
| Indian | 16 (9.40) | 7 (11.70) | ||
| Others | 6 (3.50) | 3 (5.00) | ||
| Dementia type | χ2(3, N = 230) = 2.46 | .483 | ||
| AD | 40 (23.50) | 14 (23.30) | ||
| VaD | 72 (42.40) | 29 (48.30) | ||
| Mixed | 42 (24.70) | 15 (25.00) | ||
| Others | 16 (9.40) | 2 (3.30) | ||
| Dementia severity (DSM-IIIR) | χ2(2, N = 230) = 1.70 | .429 | ||
| Mild | 14 (8.20) | 2 (3.30) | ||
| Moderate | 102 (60.00) | 37 (61.70) | ||
| Severe | 54 (31.80) | 21 (35.00) | ||
| Delirium present | 134 (78.80) | 44 (73.30) | χ2(1, N = 230) = 0.76 | .382 |
| Illness severity (mSII) | χ2(2, N = 230) = 3.27 | .195 | ||
| Level 1 | 26 (15.30) | 8 (13.30) | ||
| Level 2 | 119 (70.00) | 37 (61.70) | ||
| Level 3 | 25 (14.70) | 15 (25.00) | ||
| Comorbidity status (CCI), mean ± SD | 6.12 ± 1.64 | 6.12 ± 1.54 | t(228) = .03 | .977 |
| MMSE, mean ± SD | 6.18 ± 6.56 | 3.00 ± 4.60∗ | t(228) = 3.46 | .001 |
| Admitting diagnosis | χ2(12, N = 230) = 9.25 | .681 | ||
| Falls | 39 (22.90) | 10 (16.70) | ||
| Pneumonia | 25 (14.70) | 15 (25.00) | ||
| Worsening BPSD | 27 (15.90) | 7 (11.70) | ||
| UTI | 16 (9.40) | 6 (10.00) | ||
| Metabolic disorders | 14 (8.20) | 4 (6.70) | ||
| Functional decline | 12 (7.10) | 3 (5.0) | ||
| Stroke | 4 (2.40) | 3 (5.0) | ||
| AMI/Angina | 5 (2.90) | 1 (1.70) | ||
| COPD exacerbation | 4 (2.40) | 1 (1.70) | ||
| Gastroenteritis | 2 (1.20) | 2 (3.30) | ||
| Constipation | 5 (2.90) | 3 (5.00) | ||
| Cellulitis | 4 (2.40) | 1 (1.70) | ||
| Others | 14 (8.20) | 3 (5.0) |
Abbreviations: AD, Alzheimer's disease; AMI, acute myocardial infarction; BPSD, behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia; CAMIE, Care for Acute Mentally Infirm Elders; CCI, Charlson's Comorbidity Index; COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; DSM-IIIR, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 3rd edition revised; mSII, modified severity of illness index; MMSE, Mini–Mental Status Examination; SD, standard deviation; UTI, urinary tract infection; VaD, vascular dementia.
NOTE. Metabolic disorders include hyponatremia, hypokalemia, hypercalcemia, and hypoglycemia. Other disorders include deep vein thrombosis, hypertensive urgency, acute retention of urine, congestive cardiac failure, intestinal obstruction, anemia for investigation, and flare of arthritis.
P < .01.