Mortality predictors in hospitalized elderly patients

Abstract

In view of the fact that vitamin B12 levels have been found to predict mortality, they should be measured in geriatric practice, in addition to albumin levels, as a practical and reliable tool for identifying high risk elderly hospitalized patients. Probably, a combination of two or more available and inexpensive routinely taken tests can give a better estimation of mortality than some complicated tools, like Charlson co-morbidity index.