Cure8 research brief
Patients with IBD who are frail appear to have a substantially higher risk of infections while on biologic therapies compared with fit patients. Recognizing frailty before and during treatment could improve risk assessment and management.
Adult IBD patients (especially those on biologics), clinicians prescribing biologic therapy, and researchers studying infection risk and frailty in IBD.
The authors reviewed 543 adult IBD patients treated with biologics at a tertiary centre (2013–2019). About 30% were classified as frail. Infections occurred in 48% of frail versus 12% of fit patients; severe infections in 13.7% versus 3.4%. Frailty remained an independent predictor of any infection and of severe infection in adjusted models.
The study supports considering routine frailty screening as part of risk stratification for people starting or receiving biologic therapy. Practical note: This is an observational, retrospective single-centre study, so it shows association not causation.
Local patient populations, biologic prescribing patterns, and how frailty was measured may differ from other settings. Discussion with treating clinicians is important before changing treatment plans based on frailty alone.
This report is a retrospective observational study from a single tertiary centre using the Hospital Frailty Risk Score. Associations do not prove causation, and applicability may vary by centre, patient mix, and biologic agents used.
Review the original publication for the complete reporting, methods, and context.
This Cure8 brief is based on source text from the linked article. Cure8 is informational only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
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