Title: The Critically Ill Geriatric Patient with Sepsis<br/>Author: Mike Winters<br/><a href='http://umem.org/profiles/faculty/141/'>[Click to email author]</a><hr/><p>
<u><strong>The Critically Ill Geriatric Patient with Sepsis</strong></u></p>
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Due to the age-related physiologic change of immunosenescence, geriatric patients have an increased susceptibility to infection, a decreased ability to mount a response to infection, and an increased likelihood of atypical presentations.</li>
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Atypical presentations of sepsis in the geriatric patient include <u>confusion</u>, <u>decreased functional status</u>, <u>generalized weakness,</u> and <u>failure to thrive</u>.</li>
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In fact, up to<u> 33%</u> of geriatric patients with bacteremia will be <u>afebrile</u> upon presentation.</li>
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Consider sepsis in the differential diagnosis of geriatric patients with these nonspecific complaints.</li>
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<fieldset><legend>References</legend>
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Khoujah D, et al. Resuscitating the critically ill geriatric emergency department patient. <em>Emerg Med Clin N Am</em>. 2019; 569-81.</p>
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