On-spot rheumatology consultations in a multilevel geriatric hospital.
Isr Med Assoc J
; 16(1): 33-6, 2014 Jan.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-24575502
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
Musculoskeletal and joint disorders are extremely common in the elderly. They directly affect mobility, gait stability, quality of life, and independence.OBJECTIVES:
To assess the nature of joint problems encountered in a geriatric inpatient population and evaluate the contribution of a rheumatologist.METHODS:
We reviewed the rheumatology consultation records that were conducted in a geriatric medical center over a 10 year period.RESULTS:
A total of 474 consultations were held; most of these patients (86%) were hospitalized in the acute geriatric departments, 10% in the rehabilitation ward and 4% in the long-term care wards. Some patients were seen more than once. A rheumatologic joint problem was the main reason for hospitalization in 53% of these patients. Monoarthritis was the most frequent complaint (50%), followed by pauciarticular arthritis (two to five joints) in 30% of patients. Arthrocentesis, diagnostic and therapeutic, was performed in 225 patients, most of them in knee joints (81%). The most frequent diagnosis was osteoarthritis with acute exacerbation (28%), followed by gout (18%), pseudo-gout (9%) and rheumatoid arthritis (9%). In 86 cases (18%) the diagnosis was a non-specific rheumatologicproblem:
arthralgia, nonspecific generalized pain, or fibromyalgia.CONCLUSIONS:
Prompt and appropriate evaluation, as well as arthrocentesis and treatment initiation, including local injections, were made possible by the presence of an in-house rheumatologist.
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Banco de datos:
MEDLINE
Asunto principal:
Derivación y Consulta
/
Reumatología
/
Enfermedades Musculoesqueléticas
/
Artropatías
Tipo de estudio:
Observational_studies
/
Risk_factors_studies
Límite:
Aged
/
Aged80
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
/
Middle aged
País/Región como asunto:
Asia
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Isr Med Assoc J
Asunto de la revista:
MEDICINA
Año:
2014
Tipo del documento:
Article
País de afiliación:
Israel