CG CLASSIFIEDS
We are looking for a second fellowship-trained Geriatrician to join our amazing rural Upstate New York community.
Supplements & Special Projects
Physicians Perspective
Our Increasing Lifespan
We continue to see an increase in the average life expectancy in the United States, and we are proud of this accomplishment. Obviously we are doing something “right.” The average lifespan is defined as that age to which a baby born today can expect to live, based on actuarial data that estimate when 50% of those born in a given year can expect to live beyond. Data from 2003 recently issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention listed 77.6 years as the average lifespan for a baby born that year, a rise of 0.3 years over that recorded just one year prior. This represents a 1.7% d
What You Don’t See May Be the Problem
Over the years, I have had the opportunity to hear numerous patient stories presented to me by colleagues, residents, and students. Although I find each and every one unique and interesting in its own right, occasionally there is a story that stands out as worth sharing. The following case is one such example; not because there is any major new finding or disease entity to present, but because something so simple was missed—and many other medical centers may find themselves with a similar situation.
Mr. J is a 93-year-old gentleman who was active and in his usual state of health until tw
Listen to the Old
I just returned from rounds and cannot forget the 96-year-old severely cachectic woman I saw who had left the ICU to continue to recover from a bout of pneumonia. Her family surrounded her, and they all seemed to enjoy the moment. They told me when I entered the room that they were reminiscing about the past. “Mom was a practicing physician and always healed herself,” they said. I could see how strong their relationship was with her. I knew that they would be a key factor if she was to regain her strength. The food at the bedside remained from earlier that day, and we spoke of ways to impr
My “Top Ten” List
Recently, the chairs of the various departments at my hospital were asked to make a presentation to members of our Board of Directors at their annual planning meeting. We were challenged to come up with 10 items that we believed would influence the future of medicine over the next few decades. Clearly, my task was more complicated than most, as internal medicine has so many areas of subspecialization. After careful consideration, the following made my list, including an 11th item I could not exclude:
1. Changing demography
We will witness an increase in the number of older persons and
The Difficult Problem of Timely Diagnosis
“The diseases of young men are more acute and curable, of old men longer and hard to cure…”—Sir Francis Bacon
When people initially heard last autumn that Chief Justice William Rehnquist had undergone surgery for thyroid cancer, they hoped for the best and assumed that he would make a speedy recovery as most people do with thyroid cancer. Physicians are used to diagnosing follicular or papillary cancer of the thyroid and have been ingrained to think that if one had the power to “choose” a specific cancer, thyroid cancer would be one to consider, as few die of this illness.
Clinical Geriatrics Blogs
Coming in Future Issues of Clinical Geriatrics
Series: Diabetes in the Elderly
Series: Cancer in Older Adults
First Report® Conference Coverage: American Academy of Neurology, American Diabetes Association, 2010 Digestive Disease Week
Assessment and Classification of Pain in the Elderly Patient
Pharmacologic Management of Pain in Older Patients
Miscellaneous Pain Syndromes in Older Adults
Nonhernia Causes of Inguinal Pain in the Elderly
