Older patients account for up to a quarter of all emergency department (ED) visits. Increased frailty, delayed diagnosis, and greater illness severity contribute to a higher risk of adverse outcomes. This Older Patients in the Emergency Department: A Review document review the most common conditions encountered in older patients, including delirium, dementia, falls, and polypharmacy, and suggest simple and efficient strategies for their evaluation and management. Older patients represent an ever-increasing population in emergency medicine.
Such patients often present with atypical signs and symptoms and multiple comorbidities that complicate diagnosis and treatment. They are at increased risk of emergency department (ED) return visits, hospitalization, and death. Furthermore, outcomes may be related in part to issues such as functional status, comorbidity score, age, social supports,…
