Predictors of Emergency Department Use in Frail Patients

Condition(s) studied

Investigational drug(s) / intervention(s)

Plasma phosphorylated Tau 181: Plasma will be collected in dipotassium EDTA tubes at recruitment and centrifugated at 1800-2000xg for 10 minutes within a short data frame. Plasma will be subsequently aliquoted and stored at -80°C. Immediately prior to analysis, samples will be thawed at room temperature, vortexed, and centrifuged. Plasma p-tau181 concentrations will be then quantified using a fully automated chemiluminescent enzyme immunoassay on the LUMIPULSE G600II system, in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions.

Study summary

When admitted to the emergency department (ED), elderly non-autonomous patients show high risk of adverse health outcomes. The prompt identification of ED use risk factors in such population is hence needed. While cognitive impairment is a known clinical risk factor, biomarkers of most prevalent dementias have been scarcely investigated as possible ED use predictors. Within this context, this prospective study aims at exploring whether plasma phospho-tau181 and cerebrovascular burden can predict ED use at 6 months in elderly non-autonomous patients, irrespective of frailty.

Eligibility

Primary outcome measure(s)

• Emergency Department Use — Within 6 months from recruitment
  The patient visits an emergency department (ED). The proportion of participants visiting the ED will be assessed at the end of the observational period. Biomarkers of cognitive impairment, i.e., plasma phosphorylated tau 181 and cerbrovascular burden, will be subsequently tested as possible predictors of this outcome.

Trial sites (1)

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