Dementia, Delirium in Elderly Patients Linked to Infection

  

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A new study shows that sepsis, an illness that causes inflammation throughout the whole body, could cause physical and mental impairment among the elderly.

Elders who survive sepsis, also known as "blood poisoning," are three times more likely to undergo a severe physical or mental decline according to a University of Michigan Medical School study. The findings may explain why some elderly people lose independence after a hospitalization and end up in need of long term care.

Many years ago, sepsis was a cause of death for many elderly patients who were said to have "died of old age." Today, advances in medicine mean that sepsis is a condition that can be treated -- but elderly patients often survive with severe impairment that robs them of their independence along with physical and mental function.

"Among people with no mental or physical limitations before sepsis, around 40 percent could not walk without assistance in the years after," lead researcher Dr. Theodore Iwashyna said. It is uncertain whether sepsis alone causes cognitive decline, as delirium, often a complication of sepsis, is also associated with worsening cognitive impairment. 

Sepsis occurs most often in infants and in the elderly. Those with compromised immune systems are at high risk, in addition to those with urinary catheters, breathing tubes or artificial joints. As urinary tract infections and bedsores can often lead to sepsis, it is important for hospitals, doctors, nurses and other caregivers to monitor an at-risk patient's health to prevent illness.

Diseases such as flu and pneumonia can also make an elderly person more susceptible to sepsis. This is why vaccinations are important for individuals of all ages.

More research is needed to determine the link between sepsis and cognitive and physical decline. In the meantime, infection prevention in hospital and long term care settings as well as vaccinating the elderly for flu and pneumonia are important ways to combat sepsis.