Altered Mental Status and Delirium
Older patients who present to the emergency department frequently have acute or chronic alterations of their mental status, including their level of consciousness and cognition. Recognizing both acute and chronic…
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The Geriatric Emergency Department
This article presents an overview of the complex needs of older patients presenting to the emergency department for care. Discussion points for hospital communities considering emergency services to accommodate the…
Evaluation of Syncope in Older Adults
The older adult patient with syncope is one of the most challenging evaluations for the emergency physician. It requires clinical skill, patience, and knowledge of specific older adult issues. It…
Neurologic Emergencies in the Elderly
Neurologic diseases are a major cause of death and disability in elderly patients. Due to the physiologic changes and increased comorbidities that occur as people age, neurologic diseases are more…
Abdominal Pain in the Geriatric Patient
With an aging population, emergency department clinicians can expect an increase in geriatric patients presenting with abdominal pain. Compared with younger patients, this patient population is less likely to present…
Dyspnea in the Elderly
This article discusses the evaluation and management of stable and unstable elderly patients with dyspnea. Several of the changes in the elderly that alter cardiopulmonary physiology are discussed. A review…
Evaluation and Management of Chest Pain in the Elderly
Geriatric patients are at increased risk for serious morbidity and mortality from life-threatening causes of chest pain. This article covers 5 life-threatening causes of chest pain in the elderly: acute…
Sepsis and Other Infectious Disease Emergencies in the Elderly
Waning immunity and declining anatomic and physiologic defenses render the elder vulnerable to a wide range of infectious diseases. Clinical presentations are often atypical and muted, favoring global changes in…
Geriatric Trauma
Within the next 15 years, 1 in 5 Americans will be over age 65. $34 billion will be spent yearly on trauma care of this age group. This section covers…
Pharmacology in the Geriatric Patient
The aging population of the United States creates pharmaceutical challenges for the practicing emergency physician. Polypharmacy, drug-drug and drug-disease interactions, and other pharmaceutical complications from the pathophysiologic changes associated with…
