Hospitality for elderly patients in the emergency department
Boulet, M-Claude.; Dami, F.; Hugli, O.; Renard, D.; Foucault, E.; Carron, P-Nicolas.
Revue Medicale Suisse 11(498): 2338-2341
2015
ISSN/ISBN: 1660-9379 PMID: 26790241 Document Number: 683161
Demographic evolution results in a growing use of emergency department by elderly patients. They require special care to avoid any further degradation of cognitive and functional abilities already compromised by the disease or injury that led them to hospital in the first place. Through a clinical case, we list the risks related to the care of these particular patients in the emergency department. Early recognition of those risks and careful management of these patients' specific needs can significantly contribute to reduce lengths of stay, an important outcome from both the individual patient's and society's perspective.