Geriatrics Exam Review: Comprehensive Overview of Aging & Care for Physician Assistants

Geriatrics Exam Review: Comprehensive Overview of Aging & Care for Physician Assistants

Book cover for A Comprehensive Review for the Certification and Recertification Examinations for Physician Assistants

Prepare for your physician assistant certification exam with this comprehensive review of geriatrics from A Comprehensive Review for the Certification and Recertification Examinations for Physician Assistants by Claire Babcock O'Connell and Thea Cogan-Drew. This summary covers key aspects of aging, clinical assessment, prevention, pharmacology, rehabilitation, palliative care, and common syndromes affecting elderly patients.

Watch the podcast summary above and subscribe to Last Minute Lecture for more clinical exam prep and geriatric care insights.

Understanding Aging

  • Life Expectancy: Average US life expectancy ~80 years; individuals 65+ expected to live additional 19-20 years.
  • Clinical Impact: Aging increases chronic diseases and healthcare needs; affects organ systems variably.

Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment

  • Multifaceted Evaluation: Cognitive, physical, psychological, nutritional, and socioeconomic assessments.
  • Functional Assessments: Activities of Daily Living (ADL) and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL).
  • Driving Skills Evaluation: Complex, requires multifactorial assessment.

Prevention & Health Maintenance

  • Preventive Services: Individualized recommendations; vaccines include Tdap, pneumococcal, herpes zoster.
  • Routine Screenings: Tailored to elderly patient’s risk profile.

Pharmacology in Older Adults

  • Vulnerabilities: Altered pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics increase adverse drug event risks.
  • Medication Management: Review medications with any new symptoms to prevent hospitalizations.

Hospitalization & Rehabilitation

  • Risks: Delirium and iatrogenic complications common; delirium is a medical emergency.
  • Rehabilitation Settings: Includes hospitals, long-term care, outpatient, and home care.

Palliative Care

  • Symptom Management: Focus when curative treatments fail; pain control with cautious dosing.

Common Geriatric Syndromes

  • Immobility, Falls, & Incontinence: Leading causes of morbidity; not normal aging signs, require evaluation.
  • Other Concerns: Vision/hearing loss, malnutrition, pressure ulcers, vertebral fractures.

Legal, Ethical, & Financial Issues

  • Competence & Decision-Making: Competence legally determined; decision capacity assessed clinically.
  • Elder Mistreatment: Critical to recognize and report abuse.

Glossary of Key Terms

  • Activities of Daily Living (ADL): Basic self-care tasks.
  • Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL): Complex tasks needed for independent living.
  • Delirium: Acute confusion with altered consciousness.
  • Dementia: Chronic cognitive decline.
  • Geriatric Syndrome: Common elderly conditions like falls and incontinence.
  • Pharmacokinetics & Pharmacodynamics: Drug absorption, distribution, metabolism, and effect variations with age.
  • Xerosis: Abnormally dry skin, frequent in elderly.

Conclusion: Key Takeaways for Geriatrics Exam Prep

Master the essentials of geriatric care including assessment, prevention, medication management, and common syndromes to excel in physician assistant certification exams and clinical practice.

For an in-depth review, watch the podcast summary and explore Last Minute Lecture for more high-yield PA study materials.

If this guide was helpful, please subscribe to Last Minute Lecture for ongoing chapter-based medical exam reviews and study guides.

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