Clinical implications of geriatric syndromes

ABSTRACT

A decline in organ function, accompanying risk factors, and diseases altogether make disease presentation-diagnosis-management obscure. Geriatric clinical situations are rarely simple. Geriatric syndromes are clinical conditions that are highly prevalent in aged persons, have multifactorial pathophysiology, and associated with considerable morbidity and poor quality of life. Geriatric syndromes are associated with increased risk of activities of daily livings) loss and death rate. There are 3 approaches to Geriatric syndrome management, such as traditional approach by diagnosis and treatment, geriatric approach by risk factor assessment and reduction, and 'mom' approach through 3 domains. In older patients, complicated associations of multiple contributors generally cause a single symptom, which is accompanied and accumulated by multiple impairments. The management of geriatric syndromes includes the treatment of multiple contributors, the treatment of one geriatric symptom or sign, the management of multiple outcomes, and prevention. I'd like to name this approach as 'mom' approach after the acronym of multiple contributors, one phenotype, and multiple outcomes. The understanding of geriatric syndromes will be an important stepping stone in clinical practice of geriatrics.