Geriatric Medicine : Problems and Practice

Medical care of the elderly today challenges the practitioner to break away from narrow diagnostic labelling and view the whole picture of disease in old age. In an excellent problem-oriented approach, **Geriatric Medicine** offers a complete overview for practitioners. The main portion of the text deals with the common diseases of old age; important aspects such as physiology, demography, and health care delivery are discussed in separate chapters. Social and legal aspects in the major English-speaking countries receive adequate attention. All of the contributors have at some time been connected with the University Department of Geriatric Medicine in Cardiff and attest to a positive and dynamic approach in geriatric medicine, an approach that has international validity and relevance. Front Matter....Pages i-xix Front Matter....Pages 1-1 The Physiology of Ageing....Pages 3-13 Demography and Epidemiology of Old Age....Pages 15-30 Front Matter....Pages 31-31 Headache and Facial Pain....Pages 33-43 Chest Pain....Pages 45-58 Abdominal Pain....Pages 59-70 Musculo-skeletal Pain....Pages 71-87 Dyspnoea....Pages 89-99 Hypertension....Pages 101-113 Lower Limb Oedema....Pages 115-124 Weight Loss....Pages 125-138 Constipation and Diarrhoea....Pages 139-149 Incontinence....Pages 151-163 Visual Impairment....Pages 165-176 Hearing Problems....Pages 177-188 Impaired Mobility....Pages 189-204 Foot Problems....Pages 205-218 Falls and Syncope....Pages 219-230 Confusion....Pages 231-241 Depression....Pages 243-254 Anaemia....Pages 255-268 Front Matter....Pages 31-31 Vomiting and Haematemesis....Pages 269-278 Accidental Hypothermia....Pages 279-287 Pruritus....Pages 289-296 Front Matter....Pages 297-297 Drug Therapy....Pages 299-311 Rehabilitation....Pages 313-320 Terminal Care....Pages 321-331 Front Matter....Pages 333-333 Geriatric Medicine and the Law....Pages 335-347 Supporting Old People in the Community....Pages 349-366 Care of the Elderly in Other English-Speaking Countries....Pages 367-374 Back Matter....Pages 375-383