Abdominal pain is one of the most frequent reasons that elderly people visit the emergency department (ED). In this article, we review the deadliest causes of abdominal pain in this population, including mesenteric ischemia, abdominal aortic aneurysm, and appendicitis and potentially lethal non-abdominal causes. We also highlight the pitfalls in diagnosing, or rather misdiagnosing, these clinic...

It is estimated that, by the year 2000, fifty percent of the population in the United States will be over age sixty. The "baby boomers" will have reached their "golden age." This situation will have far-reaching ramifications for society in general and will also cause the medical profession to evaluate critically its treatment of the elderly. In light of this, Dr. Sculco's text is a timely effo...

As the number of older Americans increases, so will the number of incident cancers. According to the US Bureau of Census in 1993, projected estimates indicate that 14% of the total population will be over the age of 65 by the year 2010, with Florida having the highest percentage of elderly at almost 20%. With this forecasted increase in the number of older Americans with cancer, it is important...

The burgeoning population of older dialysis patients presents opportunities to provide personalized care. The older dialysis population has a high burden of chronic health conditions, decrements in quality of life and a high risk of death. In order to address these challenges, this review will recommend routinely establishing prognosis through the use of prediction instruments and communicating...

BACKGROUND Emergency general surgery in the elderly is a particular challenge to the surgeon in charge of their care. The aim was to review contemporary aspects of managing elderly patients needing emergency general surgery and possible alterations to their pathways of care. METHODS This was a narrative review based on a PubMed/MEDLINE literature search up until 15 September 2015 for publicat...

Fifty patients over 60 with proven acute appendictis are analyzed with regards to the preoperative clinical picture, diagnosis, operative findings and management, and the role of associated medical diseases.

IT is not many years since the old-fashioned chronic wards of a hospital' were thought to have an entirely custodial function. They existed to provide care and attention for elderly patients when nothing further could usefully be done. With a rapidly ageing population this custodial approach proved inadequate, and since it was not possible to provide and staff an ever increasing number of chron...

Background Presacral tumors are most frequently benign, occasionally malignant with a slow growth. Their incidence is 1:40000 and they are asymptomatic in the 26–50% of cases. When visible symptoms occur, these are related to the dimensions of the tumor, to its location and to the presence of infection. We believe all presacral tumors should undergo a surgical resection, even if the patient is ...

BACKGROUND With an aging population and an increasing number of elderly patients with cancer, it is essential for us to understand how cancer physicians approach the management and treatment of elderly cancer patients as well as their methods of cancer diagnosis disclosure to older versus younger patients in Singapore, where routine geriatric oncology service is not available. METHODS 57 canc...

VOLUME 45 • NUMBER 4 • APRIL 2014 The practice of dentistry has changed dramatically. Technology, patient expectations, life expectancy, dental therapy, and the internet have had a profound impact on the dentistry of today. Baby boomers are living longer and are more affluent, better educated, and living healthier and more productive lives. Unlike previous generations, they have benefitted from...