A Study on The Clinical Profile of Geriatric Medical Emergencies in a Tertiary Care Hospital.

Aim: To study the clinical profile of geriatric emergencies presenting to the emergency department. Material And Methods: This study was conducted in the Emergency Department of Rajmata Vijaya Raje Scindia Government Medical College, Bhilwara, Rajasthan among patients aged >65 years who presented to the Emergency Department of the Hospital, both males and females, and had given written informed consent, were included in the study. Details of history and physical examination findings of all the patients were recorded on a standard data collection sheet. Diagnosis was made based on the clinical history, vitals, systemic examination, and the initial and/ or relevant investigations. Data was collected and subjected to statistical analysis using SPSS software version 24. Results: The maximum participants belonged to the age group of 65-70 years (53.5%).Most common symptom was shortness of breath (37%), followed by fever (23.5%). Most common cause was respiratory (33.5%) followed by metabolic (14%), cardiovascular (13.5%) and neurological (12.5%) and infectious (12.5%), followed by gastrointestinal (7%), and then trauma (6%). Among 200 patients, 58% patients required Hospital Admission (ICU or Ward), 27% went back home from the ED itself on oral medicines, and 15 % patients suffered death. Conclusion: Respiratory Emergencies were the most common, followed by Metabolic, Cardiovascular, Neurological and Infectious, Gastrointestinal, Trauma and minor causes included Renal, Genitourinary, Anaphylactic and Neoplasm. ED of India should be aware of this demographic profile, and should be sensitised to it. ED should consider taking on the role of a tertiary injury prevention centre, and provide opportunistic screening for the at-risk elderly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]