RT Book, Section
A1 Hogan, Teresita M.
A1 Young, Andrew
A1 Novack, Jared
A2 Cooney, Derek R.
SR Print(0)
ID 1126792707
T1 Geriatric Patients
T2 Cooney's EMS Medicine
YR 2016
FD 2016
PB McGraw-Hill Education
PP New York, NY
SN 9780071775649
LK accessemergencymedicine.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?aid=1126792707
RD 2024/04/25
AB Adults  aged  65  years  and  older  are  the  foremost  utilizers  of  EMS  and  are  at  excess  risk  for  adverse  events.1  Studies  overwhelmingly  agree  this  high  level  of  use  by  older  adults  is  appropriate.2-6  Elders  have  greater  needs  for  emergency  care  than  other  age  groups.7  They  are  often  acutely  ill  and  nearly  30%  of  elder  EMS  patients  require  high  intensity  care.  The  potential  exists  for  the  elder  population  to  overwhelm  EMS  networks  due  to  their  numbers  and  their  complex  interwoven  needs  that  do  not  fit  neatly  into  our  systems  design.  EMS  was  designed  for  acute  emergent  action  not  for  the  multifaceted  nuanced  concerns  experienced  by  our  nation's  elders.  Understanding  the  full  scope  of  this  issue  is  essential  to  define  opportunities  for  targeted  improvements  in  practice  and  policy,  thereby  preparing  EMS  providers  and  systems  for  the  oncoming  geriatric  tsunami.