title: Geriatric medicine in the emergency department.
abstract: Studies suggest older adults attending emergency departments(ED) benefit from specialist geriatric medicine evaluation. Findings from a pilot ED Geriatric Medicine(GM) liaison service in our 480-bed university hospital are presented. This is not a randomized controlled trial. Service comprised consultant geriatrician and senior trainee-led sessions during daytime working hours. Senior ED personnel selected appropriate patients. GM service also took over ED medical admissions aged 80, 1 in 9 days from General Internal Medicine(GIM). 49% of 284 patients (83.5 +/- 6.8 years) referred, were discharged from ED with appropriate follow-up. Inpatient analysis comprised 51% admitted to GIM, GM and specialist services as per on-call rota and 268 patients taken over from GIM. Patients under GM had shorter length of stay (p < 0.001). The findings suggest specialty specific geriatric medicine management of the older adult presenting to ED can improve service and patient outcomes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Geriatric Medicine, St Vincent's University Hospital, Elm Park, Dublin 4. tankitmun123@hotmail.com
authors.forename: K M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lannon
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: O'Keeffe
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Barton
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ryan
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: O'Shea
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hughes
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration*; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D005853:Geriatrics; D006801:Humans; D007388:Internal Medicine; D008297:Male; D010343:Patient Admission