ABSTRACT
The detection rate of cognitive impairment by general practitioners in elderly hospitalised and ambulatory population is low, ranging from 50 to 73%, and from 24 to 42%, respectively. This is insufficient regarding the importance of an early diagnosis of dementia and Alzheimer's disease, for the patient and his/her proxies, but also for the primary care physician in charge. Thus, all general practitioners should have a strategy for the evaluation of cognitive impairment in elderly patient.
Subject(s)
Cognition Disorders/diagnosis , Family Practice/methods , Aged , Algorithms , Cognition Disorders/epidemiology , Decision Trees , Diagnosis, Differential , Geriatric Assessment , Humans , Mass Screening/methods , Medical History Taking/methods , Mental Status Schedule , Physical Examination/methods , Prevalence , Time FactorsABSTRACT
The search for cholesterol crystals in the bile, drawn during the endoscopy, represents a simple and reliable method in the diagnosis of the symptomatic biliary sludge. In our patients it was present in 82% of the cases. The injection of cholecystokinin appears to us absolutely necessary in order to obtain vesicular bile. The sensitiveness of abdominal sonography in the diagnosis of biliary sludge is weak, 13% of our cases. The clinical evolution with ursodeoxycholic acid treatment has been favourable in 83% of the treated patients.