The Infona portal uses cookies, i.e. strings of text saved by a browser on the user's device. The portal can access those files and use them to remember the user's data, such as their chosen settings (screen view, interface language, etc.), or their login data. By using the Infona portal the user accepts automatic saving and using this information for portal operation purposes. More information on the subject can be found in the Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. By closing this window the user confirms that they have read the information on cookie usage, and they accept the privacy policy and the way cookies are used by the portal. You can change the cookie settings in your browser.
‘Collapse query cause’ is a common acute medical presentation with many different causes. This article focuses on syncope, which is caused by transient global cerebral hypoperfusion. There are four main subtypes of syncope, with neurally mediated syncope and syncope caused by orthostatic hypotension being by far the most common. Cardiac arrhythmias account for only 20% of syncopal episodes. The initial...
We are seeing a significant increase in the older population far outweighing that in younger cohorts, and this is set to dramatically increase by 2050. With increasing age comes an increased risk of co-morbidities and consequently a likelihood of pain. Pain is a common problem for older adults; many reports suggest that the incidence is around 50% in older adults living in the community, increasing...
Frailty is an important geriatric syndrome with a high prevalence in the community population. It can be seen as a state of extreme vulnerability and loss of resistance to external stressors resulting in an increased risk of several adverse outcomes. Although linked with ageing, disability and co-morbidity, many consider frailty as a distinct clinical and pathophysiological entity. A problem with...
Inconsistencies between diagnostic criteria for different dementia aetiologies have led to the 5th edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Disorder of Mental Disorders abandoning ‘dementia’ as a diagnostic term. Diagnostic criteria for dementia that remain are increasingly based on molecular rather than clinical features. In particular, dementias associated with fronto-temporal lobe degeneration...
Fractures resulting from osteoporosis are a major public health problem. Physicians should be aware of the major risk factors for osteoporosis and refer appropriately for bone densitometry. Risk factors include previous fracture, a family history of fracture, slender habitus, early menopause, treatment with drugs known to affect bone (glucocorticoids) and diseases known to affect bone (rheumatoid...
Optimizing drug therapy is an essential part of caring for an older person. Prescribing in this group has unique challenges because of the high interindividual variability in pharmacological response and the fact that frailty, rather than age, predicts physiological responses to external stimuli. The effects of drugs and how they are handled by the body change in a number of ways with increasing age...
Delirium is a serious and common yet underdetected syndrome characterized by acute deterioration of mental status. Patients show attentional deficits and commonly also altered levels of arousal and psychotic features. The underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. Delirium is associated with multiple adverse outcomes including patient and carer distress, increased length of hospital stay, risk...
Dizziness is a very common symptom in older adults. Its prevalence increases with age, with approximately one-third of elderly people experiencing it. It can be caused by true vertigo, of peripheral or central cause, presyncope, disequilibrium or a combination of these. A detailed history and examination are essential in distinguishing common causes. Providing there is no evidence of central vertigo...
Rehabilitation of older adults involves an active process, delivered through a coordinated multidisciplinary team approach, that aims to improve function and enable subjects to live their lives to the fullest potential. Frail, older adults are particularly vulnerable to functional decline as a result of illness, and rehabilitation is an essential part of medical care for this population. The science...
Falls are very common in older people, and for some the consequences are devastating. The clinical assessment, management and investigation of patients who present with falls can be challenging for non-specialists, and multiple guidelines and algorithms have been published to aid this. This article has been prepared as a concise reference that reviews the most recent evidence and covers the medical...
Lower urinary tract symptoms and urinary incontinence are very common in the general population and increase in prevalence in association with age. Urinary incontinence in particular is still seldom discussed by patients, many of whom delay seeking healthcare for the condition. Urinary symptoms have a considerable impact on morbidity and quality of life. Older people encounter multiple barriers in...
Britain's ageing population is growing at its fastest rate to date, making it increasingly important for clinicians to understand the physiological changes associated with ageing and recognize the difference between changes secondary to ageing and changes that occur as a result of disease. Ageing is characterized by a progressive and heterogeneous decline in physiological reserve of all organ systems,...
Set the date range to filter the displayed results. You can set a starting date, ending date or both. You can enter the dates manually or choose them from the calendar.