GERIATRIC ABDOMINAL EMERGENCIES - NURSING CONTACT HOURS

Course overview

Acute abdominal pain in the elderly presents the health care team with a significant challenge. The signs and symptoms may be atypical, the differential diagnosis is vast, the workup is time-consuming, and the stakes are high. It is estimated that of all elderly patients who present to the ED with abdominal pain, as high as 50% will require admission and 30-40% will require surgery. The mortality of elderly patients admitted with abdominal pain is nine times that of younger patients. There is no question that acute abdominal pain in the elderly is not to be taken lightly. It is a clinical problem associated not only with high morbidity and mortality, but also with a high risk of poor outcome and potential medical-legal liability. Real case examples are used to illustrate four commonly missed diagnoses which present as acute abdominal pain in older patients.