title: Abdominal Pain in the Geriatric Patient.
abstract: With an aging population, emergency department clinicians can expect an increase in geriatric patients presenting with abdominal pain. Compared with younger patients, this patient population is less likely to present with classic symptoms, physical examination findings, and laboratory values of abdominal disease. However, the morbidity and mortality associated with elderly patients presenting with abdominal pathologic conditions are significant. For this reason, the clinician must be familiar with some subtle and not so subtle differences when caring for the geriatric patient with abdominal pain to ensure timely diagnosis and appropriate treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Maryland Medical Center, 6th Floor, Suite 200, 110 South Paca Street, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA; Department of Medicine, University of Maryland Medical Center, 6th Floor, Suite 200, 110 South Paca Street, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA.
authors.forename: Phillip D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Magidson
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 6th Floor, Suite 200, 110 South Paca Street, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA; Department of Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 6th Floor, Suite 200, 110 South Paca Street, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA. Electronic address: jmartinez@som.umaryland.edu.
authors.forename: Joseph P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Martinez
mesh_terms: D015746:Abdominal Pain / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D000367:Age Factors; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017544:Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D001064:Appendicitis / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D001660:Biliary Tract Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D004238:Diverticulitis / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D006801:Humans; D007415:Intestinal Obstruction / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D045822:Intestinal Volvulus / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D010182:Pancreatic Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D010437:Peptic Ulcer / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D019338:Polypharmacy
keywords: Abdominal pain; Elderly; Emergency; Geriatrics