The evaluation of infections in geriatric patients

Objective: the symptoms of geriatric patients are treated as a natural consequence of aging signs wherefor diagnosis and treatment is delayed. in this study we aimed to investigate clinical characteristics, risk factors and prognosis of infection disease with high morbidity and mortality when compared with young adults in older people. material-method: this study was performed with evaluation of data retrospectively of patients, who were 65 years of age and older, who were hospitalized in suleyman demirel university, faculty of medicine, department of infectious diseases and clinical microbiology. the diagnosis, symptoms, laboratory findings, chronic diseases, risk factors, and prognosis of 200 patients and isolated microorganisms were investigated. results: the most common infectious diseases that cause hospital admission were urinary tract infection (%63), pneumonia(%37) and soft skin infections (%27). the most frequent symptoms were fever (60.5%), confusion (22.5%) and cough–sputum (21.5%), respectively. the level of c– reactive protein were found higher in %95 of patients while white blood cell count was found normal in %48 of patients. the presence of at least one of chronic disease was determined in the %89 of all geriatric patients. escherichia coli (%18), brusella spp. (%6) and acinetobacter spp.(%5) were the most isolated microorganisms in those patients. eighteen patients died due to infectious and chronic diseases discussion: the infections are the most common cause of the hospital admission in elderly population. the classic clinical and laboratory finding cannot be seen in geriatric patients. approaches to geriatric infections need to be determined in the light of wide–ranging studies on the subject.