The importance of Geriatrics in the health field

Today we start a new tour in our Blog.  We are going to incorporate entries in which we will be able to show different news of health interest in relation to the geriatric patient. The main objective is to publicise different news items that are emerging in the scientific world, which take into account the differential and specific aspects of the elderly, taking advantage of existing scientific research computer tools.

The main areas of interest are the changes that may arise in the care and treatment of different chronic pathologies, where the updating of the different guides takes into account the specificity and determining variables that the aging process confers, as well as that information related to the great geriatric giants, or geriatric syndromes, such as cognitive deterioration and dementia, walking disorders, fragility, malnutrition, incontinence.

All those new developments that may arise in the assessment process or in the different intervention guidelines will be shown periodically, pouring in the personal opinions of the different professionals with experience in the care of the elderly, taking as a basis or reference the scientific articles with an evidence-based medicine methodology. This tool is important, as it allows us to quantify the effectiveness of different interventions, but especially in elderly patients, especially those who are treated in our services. The very old, multipathological and polypharmacy patients, who are highly dependent, are the main ones excluded from the large clinical trials and the main consumers of medicines.

For all these reasons, although expert opinions, if one can become an expert in such a changing discipline with such a high level of uncertainty, have a low degree of recommendation and level of evidence, it is for this reason that common sense and prudence can be good advisors.

Another aspect of great interest is health care safety. With medicine becoming more and more technical, the risks in the face of different diagnostic or therapeutic tests are a reality that must be known, adequately measuring the adverse events that arise and being able to implement health care practices as safely as possible, especially in the most vulnerable people.

Likewise, the development of tools to be able to achieve a rational use of medicines according to clear care objectives, analysing variables such as life expectancy, functional capacity, duration to achieve the effects of the prescribed medication, knowing the changes inherent to ageing, can be of help in the individualisation of the different therapies.

We hope that this medium can be a doorway to disseminate information of geriatric interest, although as it is done on the way, we ask for patience and understanding so that we can progressively structure this new logbook.

"Medicine is the science of uncertainty and the art of probability. “

William Osler (1849-1919)