Reducing hydration-linked events in nursing home residents

Clin Nurs Res. 2003 Aug;12(3):210-25; discussion 226-8. doi: 10.1177/1054773803252996.

Abstract

The authors used a quasi-experimental treatment and control group design with 49 participants from four nursing homes to test the effectiveness of an 8-week hydration intervention in reducing hydration-linked events (HLEs). A Kaplan Meier survival curve with log rank test was calculated to determine incidence and time to occurrence of a HLE. Incidence of and time to a HLE did not differ between the treatment and control groups over an 8-week period (p > .05). However, treatment group participants were found to be more frail, more cognitively impaired and more at risk for acute confusion than the control group participants. Although there were no statistically significant differences between the groups, it is clinically significant that the frailer, more at-risk participants in the treatment group had a lower incidence of HLEs.

Publication types

  • Clinical Trial
  • Comparative Study
  • Randomized Controlled Trial
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Confusion / etiology
  • Confusion / prevention & control
  • Dehydration / complications
  • Dehydration / prevention & control*
  • Fluid Therapy*
  • Humans
  • Iowa
  • Nursing Homes*
  • Respiratory Tract Infections / etiology
  • Respiratory Tract Infections / prevention & control
  • Risk Factors
  • Specific Gravity
  • Survival Analysis
  • Urinary Tract Infections / etiology
  • Urinary Tract Infections / prevention & control