(Global)
This is considered the assessment and treatment of disease in a person 65 years of age or older.
Geriatrics
Name this disease/illness:
Leading COD d/t infection/inflammation from bacterial, fungal or viral causes. This is a leading COD d/t infection in Americans ages 65+.The risk of contracting this disease is d/t age related immune suppression.
Pneumonia
What is orthostatic hypotension?
A change in blood pressure with a change in position.
What is the sensory change that affects most older people?
Hearing
Due to decreased GI absorption and liver and kidney functions, geriatric patients are more susceptible to this as it related to medications and alcohol.
Toxicity
This process is inevitably accompanied by changes in physiologic function.
Aging
Name the medical issue: You arrive on scene to a well maintained house in the village. You find an elderly female sitting in her living room. She states her calf hurts and it's been harder to walk the last couple of days. Upon inspection you find the leg is painful to touch, feels hot and she is pedal edema. She tells you she does not want to go to the hospital if she does not have to.
Deep Vein Thrombosis/DVT
What is the accumulation of fat and cholesterol in the arteries?
Atherosclerosis
Dementia
1. Financial challenges
2. Inability to open containers
3. Impaired cognitive, vision and hearing ability
What is the most common injury found in an aging population?
Hip Injury/Hip Fracture
Name the medical issue: You are called to the scene of a nursing home patient. He c/o a sudden onset of dyspnea w/ CP. Pt. is tachycardic and appears panicked. Increased signs of hypoxia. No improvements with interventions. When you listen to his lungs you notice a pink midsternal surgical scar and the presence of an implanted device under the left clavicle. Pt. is prescribed Warfarin.
Pulmonary Embolism
The classic symptoms of a heart attack are often not present in geriatric patients in which chest pain is not present. "Silent" heart attacks are particularly common to which which gender and which disease process?
Women, Diabetes
Name this disorder: Impairment to the peripheral nerves.
Neuropathy
If this mental health disorder goes unrecognized or untreated, it is associated with a higher suicide rate in the geriatric population.
Depression
What is the leading cause of death in geriatric patients?
Heart Disease
As one gets older, the alveoli in the lung tissue can become enlarged and the elasticity decreases. Due to this, there is a decrease in the ability to bring in ___ and push out ___.
Oxygen, Carbon Dioxide
Left or Right? What type of heart failure is categorized by pulmonary edema, SOB, hypoxia and crackles?
Left-Sided Heart Failure
What structure of the CNS decreases in weight (10-20%) and volume as the person ages. This in turn increases the chance for injuries.
A patient is displaying signs of depression with decreased affect, refusal to eat and increased withdrawal from activities. The patient tells you they are considering suicide. What is the nest most appropriate follow up question?
Do you have a plan?
Name 3 ways in which EMS providers attempt to avoid ageism as listed in the JBL chapter 36 slides.
1. Dementia
2. Hearing
3. Sedentary or Immobile
What is the structure that lines the bronchi tree, which aids in the person's ability to cough and clear secretions, therefore lessoning the change of infections?
Cilia
This type of stroke is less common and more likely to be fatal.
Hemorrhagic stroke
This emergency is generally a temporary change in mental status categorized by disorganized thoughts, inattention, memory loss, disorientation, striking changes in personality and affect, hallucinations, delusions, or a decreased level of consciousness.
Delirium
You respond to a call for an accidental overdose of an 87 year old male on morphine. When you arrived on scene the you determine the patient the patient took 9x the recommended dose of liquid morphine. Two days later you respond to the same residence for a possible unattended. The patient has a history of cancer with a valid MOLST form for DNR/DNI.
Was the initial call due to a simple medication error or a suicide attempt?
*points awarded for justification