Geriatric Emergencies Flashcards
Explore the Geriatric patient and the prehospital emergencies that exist
Define
Geriatric
>65 yrs old
What is bereavement?
Sadness over the loss of friends and loved ones
List common changes of the Respiratory System over time
- Decrease in lung elasticity
- Decrease in size of muscles
- Decrease lung compliance
- Decrease reserve capacity
- More prone to infections
- Alveoli decreases
- Curvatures of spine
List common changes of the Cardiovascular System over time
- Arteriosclerosis: stiffening of vessel walls. Increase in blood pressure.
- Aortic Sclerosis: aortic valve thickens due to fibrosis and calcification
- Aortic Stenosis: aortic valve does not open fully, decreasing blood flow from the heart
- A-fib and A-flutter common due to the wear of the SA node
List common changes of the Nervous System over time
- Decline in mental function, memory, and thought
- Decrease in ability to hear and see
- Cataracts: cloudy change in the eyes due to becoming hard
- Glaucoma: increase intraocular pressure and damages optic Nerve
- Presbycusis: progressive hearing loss, and unable to hear high sounds and differentiate between sound and background noise
- Meniere Disease: vertigo, hearing loss, tinnitus
- Proprioception: impaired sense of body position
List common changes of the Digestive System over time
- Decreased in taste buds
- Increase in heartburn: pyloric sphincter is more flexible
- Slowing of peristalsis causing constipation
- Hepatic Enzymes decrease in liver medications are harder to metabolize
List common changes of the Urinary System over time
- Smaller effective filtering surface
- Kidneys respond slowly to sodium deficiency
- Prone to Hyponeutremia
- Prone to Hyperkalemia
List common Homeostatic changes over time
- Thirst mechanism becomes depressed
- Hunger decreases
- Pain sensory depressed
- Decrease temperature
List common changes of the Musculoskeletal System over time
- Decrease bone mass
- Joints lose flexibility
- Muscle mass decreases
What is the GEMS Diamond Assessment of Geriatric patients?
- Geriatric- be nice
- Environmental- home, temps, surroundings
- Medical- history, pills
- Social- daily living, activities
What is Delirium?
Disorganized thoughts, inattention, memory loss, disorientation, hallucinations, delusion
Otherwise known as “Acute brain syndrome”
What is Dementia?
Progressive loss of:
- Cognitive function
- Impairments of memory
- Visual perception
- Cognitive skills
What is Alzheimer’s Disease?
Form of dementia that affects cognitive ability over time
What is Parkinson’s Disease?
Neurological Disorder with two or more symptoms:
- Resting tremor
- Slowness of movement
- Rigidity
- Stiffness of extremities or trunk
What is Biliary Disease?
Liver impairment that includes:
- Cirrhosis
- Hepatitis
- Herpes
