Edited by: Jay Khapde, MD FAAEM and Michael C. Bond, MD FAAEM
Between the 2000 and 2010 U.S. Census, the population over age 65 increased at a higher rate that the overall U.S. population. For the purposes of this article, we will use age greater than 65 as the definition of a geriatric patient. By 2050, there will be over 83 million geriatric Americans, double the number from 2012.1 Currently, over 15% of emergency department (ED) visits, equaling 20 million total visits, are from geriatric patients.2 These numbers are certain to increase and will represent a unique challenge to the U.S. health care system, specifically to the ED. In this month’s “Resident Journal Review,” we focus on the evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment of geriatric patients presenting to the ED.
