1. Older patients present “atypically” for a number of reasons. As a result they are often considered ‘poor historians’. Which of the following are possible contributing factors to difficult history taking in the elderly? Select all that apply.
2. Which of the following are good strategies to obtain a more thorough history from geriatric patients in the ED? Select all that apply.
3. Mr. Durant, an 84 year old retired engineer, presents to your ED with generalized “weakness”. His past medical history includes diabetes treated with insulin, polymyalgia rheumatica on Prednisone, chronic lower back pain on Dilaudid, and hypothyroidism on Thyroxine. He is unable to give you much of a history, other than he has been feeling unwell for the last few days. Which of the following are possible causes of his new change in status? Select all that apply.
4. How can polypharmacy contribute to atypical presentations in the ED? Select all that apply.
5. Floridly septic older patients can often present atypically by not mounting a SIRS response, making it difficult to identify truly unstable elderly patients in the ED. What is it about geriatric physiology that is responsible for this? Select all that apply.