Urgences gériatriques

There are several types of geriatric emergencies with specific care. The first emergency type is constituted by emergencies identical to that of the young adult, but with a different semiological presentation that makes the diagnosis more difficult and induces a delay in the treatment. Some non specific symptoms (agitation, digestive disorders) can be the only clinical signs of serious pathologies. Other symptoms such as fever or pain can be missing in infectious or surgical presentations. In addition, some non serious diseases of the young adult can have severe consequences in the elderly and must be treated urgently. The second emergency type is more specific of the elderly because of its particular frequency in an old population, and its functional consequences. Falls and loss of autonomy are rarely taken into account, or wrongly attributed to age whereas they require an adapted treatment to avoid complications. The third type of emergency is a failure in the assistance system implemented for a frail elderly subject (for example a medical or social problem with the main care provider). Urgent management of the patient is then mandatory.