Emergencies in the Elderly




(1)
Royal Free NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK

 




Factors predisposing to falls

General:



  • Advancing age


  • Female gender


  • Environmental hazards


  • Previous falls


  • Living alone

Physiological/functional



  • Muscle weakness


  • Impaired balance/gait


  • Impaired mobility


  • Use of assistive devices


  • Sensory abnormality


  • Impaired vision


  • Impaired activities of daily living

Medical factors



  • Number of diagnoses


  • Acute illness


  • Delirium


  • Postural hypotension


  • Carotid sinus hypersensitivity


  • Cognitive impairment


  • Neurological disease: Parkinson’s disease/stroke


  • Lower limb disease: peripheral neuropathy; peripheral vascular disease


  • Depression


  • Incontinence

Medication



  • Polypharmacy


  • Any psychotropic medication


  • Sedatives-hypnotics, including benzodiazepines


  • Antidepressants


  • Digoxin


  • Vasodilators


  • Analgesics


  • Diuretics


  • Anti-hypertensives (postural hypotension)


Risk factors for falls in the elderly



Nov 20, 2017 | Posted by in Uncategorized | Comments Off on Emergencies in the Elderly

Full access? Get Clinical Tree

Get Clinical Tree app for offline access