A 73-year-old man with hypertension is brought in by his family for having fallen earlier today. He states that after urinating he “may have felt a little dizzy” briefly, and stumbled over the door jamb while walking out of the bathroom, falling to his knees on a carpeted floor. He denies antecedent or subsequent chest pain, shortness of breath, or weakness; he has no current symptoms. In the ED, you find a pleasant, conversant elderly man in no distress. His vital signs are normal; his physical exam shows no evidence of trauma, and is otherwise unremarkable.
Regarding his emergency department evaluation, which of the following is TRUE:
In the meantime, a few quotes -- "One evil in old age is, that as your time is come, you think every little illness is the beginning of the end."
"When a man expects to be arrested, every knock at the door is an alarm." -- Syndney Smith, British essayist (1771-1845) "All diseases run into one, old age." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson, U.S. essayist (1803-82)
Regarding his emergency department evaluation, which of the following is TRUE:
- The patient has no chief complaint, has normal vital signs, and an unremarkable exam; further testing would be of little benefit
- A hip fracture in this patient connotes a good outcome with early diagnosis
- Without recent history of head trauma, a subdural hematoma is unlikely
- A thorough medication history is warranted
In the meantime, a few quotes -- "One evil in old age is, that as your time is come, you think every little illness is the beginning of the end."
"When a man expects to be arrested, every knock at the door is an alarm." -- Syndney Smith, British essayist (1771-1845) "All diseases run into one, old age." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson, U.S. essayist (1803-82)
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