When You Hear Hoof Beats, Look for the Zebras: Atypical Presentation of Illness in the Older Adult

Nurse practitioners in acute, primary, and long-term care manage the complex needs of the geriatric population. Symptom presentation is fundamental to building the differential diagnosis. However, older adults often present atypically, for example, with only functional changes, rather than with typical symptoms. In order to identify potentially life-threatening illness in this group, it is necessary to have an understanding of symptom& exam alterations and the physiological age changes that underly them.

Source: The Journal for Nurse Practitioners - November 21, 2020 Category: Nursing Authors: Cassandra Vonnes, Rosalie El-Rady Tags: Clinical Practice Source Type: research