Evaluation of Geriatric Patients Applying to the Emergency Department

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: By increasing elderly population in the world and in Turkey, the number of elderly patients admission to emergency services is also increasing. In this study, it was aimed to determine the complaints during admission, common observed diseases, hospitalization rates and hospitalized services of the elderly patients over 65 years old who applied to the emergency service. METHODS: The patients aged 65 years and over who applied to Medical Faculty Hospital emergency department between 01.01.2015 and 31.12.2015 were retrospectively evaluated. The patients' gender, age, date and time of admission to the hospital, complaints about admission to the hospital, discharge of the patient after the medical treatment, referral to the hospital or intensive care unit, hospitalized departments and preliminary diagnosis were evaluated. RESULTS: 12,998 (10,1%) of the emergency department admissions were 65 years of age or older. 6571 of the patients were male (50,6%) and 6427 (49,4%) were female. The mean age was 73,72 +- 6,6 (65-111). The patients most frequently admitted to the hospital with headache (25,1%) and chest pain complaints (15,9%). 84,2% of the patients were treated as outpatient and discharged from the emergency service while, 15,4% of the patients were admitted to the hospital, 22 patients (0,2%) were referred to other centers for various reasons and 18 patients (0,1%) were exitus. 13 of the patients (0,1%) were left the hospital without accepting treatment. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: In our study, the most common necessity of emergent interventions of geriatric patients who admitted to emergency service were, cardiac problems, respiratory system diseases and gastrointestinal diseases.

Keywords

• geriatric diseases
• elderly patients
• emergency service