title: Intra-abdominal Sepsis in Elderly Persons.
abstract: Elderly patients represent a greater percentage of the population now than ever before, with 12.4% of North Americans being >65 years of age. Intra-abdominal illnesses in this population often have different etiologies than those seen in younger populations. Because of a variety of physiologic changes that occur as people age, elderly persons have different sites of infection, may present with vague symptoms and longer histories, are more gravely ill, and, overall, have worse prognoses. The major causes of intra-abdominal sepsis in elderly persons are reviewed, explanations for the differences in presentation and prognosis are offered, and the treatments of each cause are reviewed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of California, Irvine Medical Center, Orange, CA, 92868, USA.
authors.forename: Yale D
authors.initials: YD
authors.lastname: Podnos
authors.forename: Juan Carlos
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Jimenez
authors.forename: Samuel E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Wilson
mesh_terms: D018784:Abdominal Abscess / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology*; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D001064:Appendicitis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology; D002761:Cholangitis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology; D002764:Cholecystitis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology; D004238:Diverticulitis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology; D006299:Health Services for the Aged; D006801:Humans; D007511:Ischemia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology; D011379:Prognosis; D018805:Sepsis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012810:Sigmoid Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology; D013152:Splanchnic Circulation; D013277:Stomach Volvulus / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology