Geriatric Emergencies

Geriatric Emergencies is a practical guide to the common conditions affecting older patients who present in an emergency to hospital or primary care.

Beginning with the essentials of history taking and clinical examination, the book covers a comprehensive range of emergencies, emphasizing the different management approaches which may be required in older patients. Common geriatric presentations such as falls, delirium and stroke, are explored in detail in addition to more diverse topics such as abdominal pain, major trauma and head injury. Ethical considerations such as advanced care planning, palliative care and capacity assessment are discussed with practical tips on communicating with patients and their relatives.

Geriatric Emergencies provides concise up-to-date guidance to the emergency management of the older patient. It is a recommended resource for all health professionals working in the acute environment, in which a large proportion of patients are aged over 65.

Preface, vii

Acknowledgements, ix

List of Abbreviations, xi

1 Introduction to geriatric emergency medicine, 1

2 Essentials of assessment and management in geriatric emergency medicine, 9

3 Special skills in geriatric emergency medicine, 30

4 Vulnerable adults and elder abuse, 51

5 Chest pain and atrial fibrillation, 62

6 Dyspnoea, 85

7 Infection and sepsis, 100

8 Falls and immobility, 112

9 Syncope, 127

10 Dizziness, 137

11 Major trauma, 146

12 Fractures and back pain, 158

13 Skin trauma, 179

14 Head injury, 188

15 Abdominal emergencies, 200

16 Diabetic and environmental emergencies, 220

17 Acute kidney injury and metabolic emergencies, 230

18 Delirium, 242

19 Stroke and transient ischaemic attack, 256

Index, 273

Iona Murdoch, Emergency Medicine ST3, East of England Deanery, Cambridge, UK

Sarah Turpin, Geriatric Medicine ST5, South East Scotland Deanery, Edinburgh, UK

Bree Johnston, Professor of Medicine and Associate Chief for Education, Division of Geriatrics, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA

Alasdair MacLullich, Professor of Geriatric Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK

Eve Losman, Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine, University of Michigan, MI, USA