RT Book, Section
A1 Goldrich, Michael
A1 Shah, Amit
A2 Walter, Louise C.
A2 Chang, Anna
A2 Chen, Pei
A2 Harper, G. Michael
A2 Rivera, Josette
A2 Conant, Rebecca
A2 Lo, Daphne
A2 Yukawa, Michi
SR Print(0)
ID 1180014634
T1 Atypical Presentations of Illness
T2 Current Diagnosis & Treatment Geriatrics, 3e
YR 2021
FD 2021
PB McGraw-Hill Education
PP New York, NY
SN 9781260457087
LK accessmedicine.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?aid=1180014634
RD 2024/04/19
AB Traditional  education  of  clinicians  hinges  on  typical  presentations  of  common  illnesses.  The  teaching  of  these  classic  presentations  influences  clinicians’  “illness  scripts,”  or  preformed  outlines  on  how  a  patient  should  present  with  a  particular  disease.  Yet,  what  is  often  left  out  from  medical  training  is  the  frequent  occurrence  of  atypical  presentations  of  illness  in  older  adults.  These  presentations  are  termed  atypical  because  they  lack  the  usual  signs  and  symptoms  characterizing  a  particular  condition  or  diagnosis.  In  older  adults,  so-called  “atypical”  presentations  are  actually  quite  common  and  can  range  from  one-fifth  to  one-half  of  all  presentations.  For  example,  a  change  in  behavior  or  functional  ability  is  often  the  only  sign  of  a  new,  potentially  serious  illness.  Failure  to  recognize  atypical  presentations  may  lead  to  worse  outcomes,  missed  diagnoses,  and  missed  opportunities  for  treatment  of  common  conditions  in  older  patients.  As  in  other  illnesses,  some  of  the  reasons  for  delayed  recognition  may  also  be  caused  by  social  factors,  such  as  lack  of  caregiver,  lack  of  transportation,  the  fear  of  being  hospitalized,  and  the  risk  of  losing  independence.