Geriatric neurologic emergencies.
Geriatrics is an important subspecialty within the field of emergency medicine and represents a burgeoning area of practice. The special vulnerability of elderly patients to neurologic disease and injury and the comparative subtlety of clinical presentation mean that physicians should have a lower threshold for laboratory studies, radiologic imaging, consultation, and admission. Transferring appropriate patients to tertiary centers that offer specialized trauma and neurologic and neurosurgical care greatly enhances survival and functional outcomes.
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, West Clinical Center 2, Department of Emergency Medicine, One Deaconess Road West CC-2, Boston, MA 02215, USA.
Lara K
LK
Kulchycki
Jonathan A
JA
Edlow
D000368:Aged; D002493:Central Nervous System Diseases / Q000628:therapy*; D004630:Emergencies; D006299:Health Services for the Aged / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014481:United States