ABSTRACT
Thyroid hormone affects every human organ system and is a vital component of metabolism. Common and easily treatable, hypothyroidism does not usually require emergency management. However, myxedema coma is the decompensated form of hypothyroidism and can be life threatening if not treated expediently.
ABSTRACT
As women mature through menopause, they will experience normal physiologic changes that can contribute to emergency complaints specific to this patient population. Reviewing the expected physiologic changes of menopause and correlating these normal processes to the development of specific pathologic conditions offers a framework for emergency physicians and practitioners to use when evaluating older women for breast, genitourinary, and gynecologic symptoms.
Subject(s)
Emergency Medicine , Menopause , Aged , Female , Humans , Menopause/physiology , Female Urogenital DiseasesABSTRACT
Elder abuse affects many older adults and can be life threatening. Older adults both in the community and long-term care facilities are at risk. An emergency department visit is an opportunity for an abuse victim to seek help. Emergency clinicians should be able to recognize the signs of abuse, including patterns of injury consistent with mistreatment. Screening tools can assist clinicians in the diagnosis of abuse. Physicians can help victims of mistreatment by reporting the abuse to the appropriate investigative agency and by developing a treatment plan with a multidisciplinary team to include a safe discharge plan and close follow-up.
Subject(s)
Elder Abuse/diagnosis , Elder Abuse/prevention & control , Aged , COVID-19 , Culture , Diagnostic Imaging , Emergency Service, Hospital , Geriatric Assessment , Hematologic Tests , Humans , Mandatory Reporting , Medical History Taking , Patient Care Team , Physical Abuse , UrinalysisABSTRACT
Older adults are a rapidly growing patient population with unique characteristics and health considerations. Over the past few years, emergency physicians have started to recognize the complexities and importance of Geriatric Emergency Medicine. Several noteworthy elements of their healthcare were brought to the forefront of emergency medicine because this especially vulnerable patient population was disproportionately affected by the pandemic. Clinical topics such as delirium, telehealth, end-of-life care, and elder abuse came into focus; select relevant articles are reviewed. We also highlight equally notable literature which address clinically challenging topics, such as hip fractures and syncope. Finally, articles about improving the experience of and decreasing recidivism in geriatric emergency department patients are reviewed. In short, this review article summarizes geriatric emergency medicine literature that can help you improve your practice while caring for older adults.
Subject(s)
Emergency Medicine/trends , Geriatrics/trends , COVID-19/epidemiology , Humans , Pandemics , Pneumonia, Viral/epidemiology , Pneumonia, Viral/virology , SARS-CoV-2 , Vulnerable PopulationsABSTRACT
Geriatric Emergency Medicine is an important frontier for study and innovation by emergency practitioners. The rapid growth of this patient population combined with complex medical and social needs has prompted research ranging from which tests and screening tools are most effective for geriatric evaluation to how we can safely manage pain in the elderly or address goals of care in the Emergency Department. This review summarizes emergency medicine articles focused on the older patient population published in 2019, which the authors consider critical to the practice of geriatric emergency medicine.
