Association between Frailty and All-Cause In-hospital Mortality in Elderly Patients in Internal Medicine Wards, Vajira Hospital
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Abstract
Objectives: Geriatric syndromes such as frailty are becoming more significant in healthcare. Frailty is characterized by increased vulnerability to stressors and decreased physiological reserve in elderly people. Studies in the community and hospice care settings have shown relationships between frailty and morbidity, hospitalization, and mortality. This study aimed to investigate the association between frailty and short-term outcomes in hospitalized Thai older adults.
Materials and Methods: This prospective cohort study included 140 inpatient department patients aged ≥ 60. The patients or their close relatives were interviewed and assessed for frailty using the Thai version of the FRAIL scale within the first 48 hours of admission, and the patients were followed up at 2 and 4 months for in-hospital mortality. The evaluated secondary outcomes comprised 30-day readmission, length of stay, and hospital costs per day. Results were expressed using risk ratios and mean differences, with p < 0.05 indicating statistical significance.
Results: Among the 140 patients examined, 77 (55%) were determined to be frail according to the Thai FRAIL scale, and 63 (45%) were non-frail. In-hospital mortality rates were higher in the frail group than in the non-frail group 13 (16.9%) vs. 3 (4.8%). Multivariate analysis revealed that frail patients were 3.32 times more likely to die during admission than non-frail patients (adjusted risk ratios: 3.32; 95% confidence intervals: 1.12–9.86; p = 0.031).
Conclusion: Frailty was associated with higher short-term mortality among older adults admitted to a Thai hospital. Larger, multicenter studies are needed to confirm these findings.
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