frailTY and SarcOpeNia variations: The TYSON study.
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Frailty and Sarcopenia in older adults admitted to the Acute Medical Unit: Prevalence, trajectory and outcomes.
IRAS ID
279017
Contact name
Elizabeth Sapey
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
The University of Birmingham
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 4 months, 27 days
Research summary
Why the study?\n\nOlder people experience worse health outcomes following an acute medical admission, spend longer in hospital and account for the majority of healthcare use and spend. 30% of unplanned admissions to acute hospitals in older adults require an increase in social care on discharge. The process of assessment and securement of services causes a delayed transfer of care (DTOC) with 66% of all DTOC occurring in acute NHS Trusts and the vast majority occurring to older adults. There is a great need to identify older patients on admission who are most likely to experience poor outcomes or who may have the potential to regain function with specific input, at the time of admission. \n\nCurrently it is not known if the routine identification of a patients’s vulnerability status (frailty) or low muscle mass as well as muscle strength (sarcopenia) on admission to hospital can identify a group of patients more at risk of poor outcomes and improve patient outcomes by focusing resources.\n\nWhat will the study involve and where will it happen?\n\nWe aim to recruit 165 older adults, aged 65 years old or more, sustaining unplanned admission to the acute medical unit in Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham. We will repeatedly measure changes in frailty status using questionnaires, and muscle size using safe tool (ultrasound), handgrip strength, and walking speed. Changes will be compared to baseline and measured during admission at day 3, day 7 and 3 months post-discharge. Follow up period will be 6 months. We will also collect blood for testing inflammatory and metabolic mediators associated with the two conditions: frailty and sarcopenia.
REC name
Wales REC 3
REC reference
20/WA/0263
Date of REC Opinion
19 Nov 2020
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion