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The Critically Ill Geriatric Patient with Sepsis
- 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.
- Atypical presentations of sepsis in the geriatric patient include confusion, decreased functional status, generalized weakness, and failure to thrive.
- In fact, up to 33% of geriatric patients with bacteremia will be afebrile upon presentation.
- Consider sepsis in the differential diagnosis of geriatric patients with these nonspecific complaints.
References
Khoujah D, et al. Resuscitating the critically ill geriatric emergency department patient. Emerg Med Clin N Am. 2019; 569-81.