Geriatrics

Home / Geriatrics
Geriatrics Second Opinion

Geriatrics

Geriatrics is a specialty that focuses on health care of elderly people.  It aims to promote health by preventing and treating diseases and disabilities in older adults. There is no set age at which patients may be under the care of a geriatrician, or geriatric physician, a physician who specializes in the care of elderly people. Rather, this decision is determined by the individual patient’s needs, and the availability of a specialist. The decline in physiological reserve in organs makes the elderly develop some kinds of diseases and have more complications from mild problems (such as dehydrationfrom a mild gastroenteritis). Multiple problems may compound: A mild fever in elderly persons may cause confusion, which may lead to a fall and to a fracture of the neck of the femur (“broken hip”).
Elderly people require specific attention to medications. Elderly people particularly are subjected to polypharmacy (taking multiple medications). Some elderly people have multiple medical disorders; some have self-prescribed many herbal medications and over-the-counter drugs. This polypharmacy may increase the risk of drug interactionsor adverse drug reactions. In one study, it was found that prescription and nonprescription medications were commonly used together among older adults, with nearly 1 in 25 individuals potentially at risk for a major drug-drug interaction. Drugs metabolites are excreted mostly by the kidneys or the liver, which may be impaired in the elderly, necessitating medication adjustment.
The presentation of disease in elderly persons may be vague and non-specific, or it may include delirium or falls. (Pneumonia, for example, may present with low-grade fever and confusion, rather than the high fever and cough seen in younger people.) Some elderly people may find it hard to describe their symptoms in words, especially if the disease is causing confusion, or if they have cognitive impairment. Delirium in the elderly may be caused by a minor problem such as constipation or by something as serious and life-threatening as a heart attack. Many of these problems are treatable, if the root cause can be discovered.
Start your USEMO Geriatric Specialist Request

Please review the checklist requested by your USEMO specialist, and gather as many reports as possible before submitting it for review. If more information is needed, you will be contacted by the specialist.

Geriatric Department Checklist

1- Please provide us with a brief statement regarding:

⁃ Your current medical problem – Indicate the onset/ duration of this problem

2⁃ Please indicate the questions you like addressed regarding this problem

3- Please provide us with any available reports from your treating physician that include:

⁃ Brief medical / surgical history ⁃ Your current medical problem and/or treatment plan

4- Please provide us with any available reports of :

⁃ Lab results from blood tests such as CBC, CMP. ⁃ Radiographic data such as X-rays, CT scan, MRI.

5- Please provide us, if available, with reports of:

– Echocardiogram – Stress test – Cardiac catheterization

Ready to Submit all your information?

If more information is needed, you will be contacted by the specialist. Also, if you are trying to upload dicom (.dcm) extension files, please use our wetransfer plus button.

    • Introduction
    • Note
    • Step 1
    • Step 2
    • Upload Files
    • Submit

    Next

     

    Doctors

    Angela Rodriguez, MD

    Angela Rodriguez, MD

    Hospice Care

    Dr Angela Rodriguez is an American board certified Hospice and Palliative Care. She is also American board certified in Internal medicine with fellowship training in Geriatrics. She has had her Private Practice, Geriatric Care in South Florida since 2010.

     

    × WhatsApp Us!