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Review
. 2015 Sep 4:7:45-54.
doi: 10.2147/OAEM.S69974. eCollection 2015.

Acute care of older patients in the emergency department: strategies to improve patient outcomes

John J McCabe  1 , Sean P Kennelly  1
Affiliations
Review

Acute care of older patients in the emergency department: strategies to improve patient outcomes

John J McCabe et al. Open Access Emerg Med. .

Abstract

Older patients in the emergency department (ED) are a vulnerable population who are at a higher risk of functional decline and hospital reattendance subsequent to an ED visit, and have a high mortality rate in the months following an ED attendance. The delivery of acute care in a busy environment to this population presents its own unique challenge. The purpose of this review is to detail the common geriatric syndromes encountered in the ED as well as the appropriate strategies and instruments, which can be utilized to support the clinical decision matrix and improve outcomes.

Keywords: comprehensive geriatric assessment; delirium; dementia; emergency department.

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