Geriatrics

Floppy iris syndrome: A drug-related complication of cataract surgery

, Barton L. Ramsey III, MD; Jennifer Childers, MS, PA-C May 07, 2012

Older patients who are about to undergo cataract removal should be asked to provide a complete medication history, one that includes drugs no longer being taken.
 

Updated guidelines for the diagnosis of Alzheimer disease: A clinical review

April 05, 2012

The goal of the 2011 diagnostic guidelines is to make earlier identification of Alzheimer 
disease possible, which in turn will help patients and families to better prepare and plan.
 

Increasing hip pain in an elderly woman

February 22, 2012

Incapacitating pain and decreased range of motion sideline a previously healthy, active, and independent elderly patient.
 

Acute left elbow deformity following a fall on the hand

July 22, 2011

Following a fall on an outstretched hand, an elderly patient presents with obvious deformity and limited range of motion caused by guarding.
 

There's no place like the patient-centered medical home

April 05, 2011

Trying to ensure that one receives care at home can be an especially precarious adventure as one gets older and faces a myriad of very difficult questions.
 

How the medication review can help to reduce risk of falls in older patients

, Ellen M. Frick, MS, MPAS, PA-C; LaDonna S. Hale, PharmD April 01, 2011

Falling need not be an inevitable part of advancing age but rather is a largely preventable consequence of having certain modifiable risk factors.
 

Ask a Librarian!—March 2011

, March 10, 2011

This month's topics are finding the best evidence on a Medline search and good patient information for older patients.
 

Identifying the most common causes of reversible dementias: A review

, Samuel L. Gurevitz, PharmD, CGP March 01, 2011

Many dementia syndromes can be reversed if caught early. Prompt diagnosis can spare patients an otherwise very challenging life.
 

Testosterone replacement therapy: Take an informed, individualized approach

, Jacqueline Spiegel, MS, PA-C; Ilona Bleaman, MHPE, PA-C; James Roch, MPAS, PA-C January 01, 2011

Endocrine Society guidelines support prescribing testosterone to patients with hypogonadism, but individual treatment may be best.
 

Left upper-quadrant abdominal pain in a geriatric female

October 07, 2010

Sudden onset of left upper-quadrant abdominal pain creates confusion in an elderly woman.
 

Is it ethical to provide enteral tube feedings for patients with dementia?

, October 01, 2010

Research does not offer any clear support for or against this practice, making this a difficult decision for both the patient's family and the clinician.
 

Diagnosis and surgical treatment of normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH)

Michelle Johnson, MSBS, PA-C; Karen Graham, MPAS, PA-C May 04, 2010

NPH is characterized by symptoms common in the elderly. Correct patient selection for shunt surgery can lead to a good outcome.
 

Yes, I'm his daughter—and I'm also a physician assistant

March 04, 2010

The author explores what happens as the roles of medical professional and daughter coincide when her elderly father is hospitalized with pneumonia.
 

Remitting seronegative symmetrical synovitis with pitting edema

February 22, 2010

RS3PE must be distinguished from other forms of arthritis and PMR to avoid exposing the patient to inappropriate therapy.
 

Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia: Diagnosis and treatment

From CSAC, the Clinical and Scientific Affairs Council of the AAPA January 14, 2010

Clinicians should screen for mild cognitive impairment and initiate treatment with cholinesterase inhibitors as early as possible in the disease process.
 
 

Elder preventive medicine: Immunization and screening for adults older than 65 years

January 05, 2010

Preventive medicine in the elderly can reduce disease-specific morbidity, decrease disability, and improve quality of remaining life.
 

Surgical treatments for patients with an infected total knee arthroplasty

Joseph Kotelnicki, PA-C; Kevin Mitts, MD November 23, 2009

Two-stage revision arthroplasty is the usual treatment for an infected knee replacement, but less invasive procedures may also work.
 

Rotator cuff disease; Hyperparathyroidism

, September 29, 2009

Rotator cuff disease and hyperparathyroidism are described, including signs and symptoms, clinical assessment, diagnosis, and treatment.
 

Ask a Librarian—September 2009

, September 11, 2009

How do you find information on AAPA policy? What are good sources of patient information for older adults? This month's installment answers those questions.
 

Should this periocular lesion be biopsied?

September 09, 2009

Choosing the appropriate biopsy—and getting the patient to agree to it—are crucial for diagnosing a facial lesion.
 

Does treatment of new-onset hypertension reduce risk of stroke in the elderly?

Ashley D. Finch, PA-C; Karen Graham, MPAS, PA-C August 12, 2009

A search of the medical literature turned up three studies in which the benefits of treating hypertension in persons 80 years and older was demonstrated.
 

QRS: Alzheimer's disease; Myasthenia gravis

, , Margaret King-Schumacher, PA-C,MJ July 21, 2009

Features, signs and symptoms, and treatment of Alzheimer's disease and myasthenia gravis are reviewed. Questions and answers that highlight important facts about these diseases are also included.
 

Is continuity of care a victim of progress?

June 17, 2009

Somehow, with all the recent advancements we have made in medicine, we have lost an important element: continuity of care.
 

Growing old with HIV: The AIDS epidemic and an aging population

Jeffrey D. Myers, PA-C, MMSc, MIH January 01, 2009

Effective therapy and a more active older lifestyle are changing the demographic of infected patients.
 

An older man restricts his activities due to new-onset dizziness

June 01, 2007

The patient is an 88-year-old white male who presented with a complaint of new-onset dizziness so severe that it caused him to limit his activity. He was spending more and more time in his independent living apartment out of concern that the dizziness would recur and he would fall and injure himself.
 

New-onset seizures in the elderly patient

February 01, 2007

The medical consequences of uncontrolled seizures in an older person can be serious. PAs should know how to make this difficult diagnosis, as well as how best to treat elderly patients who have this serious condition.
 

Urinary problems in the elderly adult

October 01, 2005

Prompt recognition of disorders affecting the urinary tract allows for treatment or referral to a specialist, as appropriate, and helps to maintain a better quality of life in the elderly patient.
 

Nine key questions to address polypharmacy in the elderly

, May 01, 2005

Elderly patients take more medications, both prescription and OTC, than any other segment of the population, and theyre at great risk for suffering the consequences of polypharmacy.
 

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