Concepts in Practice: Geriatric Emergency Departments.

In 2018, the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) began accrediting facilities as "geriatric emergency departments" (EDs) according to adherence to the multiorganizational guidelines published in 2014. The guidelines were developed to help every ED improve its care of older adults. The geriatric ED guideline recommendations span the care continuum from out-of-hospital care, ED staffing, protocols, infrastructure, and transitions to outpatient care.

Geriatric emergency medicine service: a novel approach to an emerging trend.

Many studies have described benefits to patients from geriatric care in the emergency department (ED), yet few geriatric emergency departments exist nationally. As our nation ages and health care financing for these patients becomes more complex, it will be crucial for hospitals to develop ED services that address the needs of our sickest and frailest patients. In this article, we report on our experiences using advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) embedded in an established ED.

Obesity-associated abdominal elephantiasis.

Abdominal elephantiasis is a rare entity. Abdominal elephantiasis is an uncommon, but deformative and progressive cutaneous disease caused by chronic lymphedema and recurrent streptococcal or Staphylococcus infections of the abdominal wall. We present 3 cases of patients with morbid obesity who presented to our hospital with abdominal wall swelling, thickening, erythema, and pain.

Thyrotoxic Dysphagia in an 82-year-old male.

Dysphagia is a common problem in elderly patients and a rare manifestation of Graves' disease. We report a case of an 82-year-old male who presented with a 4-week history of dysphagia and weight loss. Workup for his dysphagia with upper endoscopy, MRI brain, electromyography, acetyl-cholinesterase receptor antibodies, and voltage-gated calcium channel antibodies were negative.

Elders' environs and their end-of-life preferences.

Hypothesis: Elders' predilections regarding end-of-life interventions vary with their living environs.

Methods: Patients in 3 settings--assisted living/outpatient, skilled nursing facility (SNF), and acute hospitalization--were asked to complete a brief questionnaire.

Results: A total of 269 patients who averaged 80.

Physician preferences for medical interventions in elderly patients.

Purpose: To identify factors influencing medical decision making in the elderly based on differences in age, cognition, and function.

Measurements: Physicians were given a clinical scenario and asked to select from three management options based on the patients' characteristics.

Results: Eighty-six percent would offer aggressive management to patients less than 85 years of age, whereas only 47.

Anemia prevalence in a home visit geriatric population.

Objectives: Ascertain anemia prevalence in the home visit geriatric population.

Design: Retrospective chart review.

Setting: A geriatric home visit program of a community-based teaching hospital.