SGE005
Authors
Dr. Christina Shenvi
Course Description
Infections in older adults often present with vague or atypical symptoms, making timely recognition and effective treatment more difficult. This session focuses on how polypharmacy, multiple chronic conditions, and frequent healthcare exposures contribute to both increased infection risk and complexity in care. Learners will review the less typical signs of common infections and examine practical strategies for diagnosis and treatment. Clinical tools like CURB-65 will be discussed, along with common pitfalls, to help reduce harm and improve outcomes in this high-risk population.
Learning Objectives
- Recognize physiologic, environmental, and iatrogenic risk factors that contribute to infections in older adults.
- Identify atypical presentations of common infections and apply tools like CURB-65 to support clinical decision-making.
- Tailor diagnostic and treatment strategies to meet the unique needs of geriatric patients, avoiding common pitfalls like unnecessary antibiotic use.
Run Time: ~35 minutes
Target Audience: Emergency Department Clinical Staff
SAGE Program
These courses were developed for the Syllabus for Advancing Geriatric EM Education (SAGE). They’re designed to help medical residents better understand how to manage geriatric patients in the ED.