07 | Point of care ultrasound in the management of elderly patients

Introduction. The aim of the work is to illustrate the role of POCUS (point of care ultrasound) in the management of elderly patients. POCUS is a clinical procedure with Ultrasound (US) examination, anamnesis and physical examination which allows to obtain informations for optimal patient’s management.  Materials and Methods. 400 elderly patients from 70 to 90 years, 200 women, 200 men, were evaluated with POCUS in Emergency Room (ER) . Elderly patients were divided in 4 groups with the following prevalent disease: 1) neck and 2) cardiorespiratory and 3) Gastroenterologia and 4) renal genitourinary diseases.  Results. POCUS procedure with US exam performed by experienced US specialist allowed to identify the following diseases in elderly patients: 30 thyroid diseases, 20 increased lymphonodes; 4 pericardial effusion; 15 congestive hearth failure; 16 pleural effusion; 15 ascites; 10 hepatic cirrhosis, 5 HCC; 4 renal neoplasms; 20 gallbladder stones; 3 pancreatic neoplasms; 4 aortic aneurisms; 7 hydronephrosis; 10 renal stones; 15 hepatic cysts; 30 renal cysts; 2 pancreatitis; 5 obstructive lithiasic jaundic; 4 neoplastic jaundice; 6 pelvic masses; 4 diverticulitis; 12 prostatic diseases; 7 urinary bladder neoplasms.  Conclusions. In the 200 elderly patients examinated in ER with POCUS the prevalence of abdominal and cardiorespiratory diseases and neoplastic and chronic diseases was very significant and these data confirm that with clinical evaluation in ER it is very important to perform complete US exam. Acute and subacute diseases highlighted in our evaluation with POCUS allows to conclude that in the elderly patients the traditional clinical approach with anamnesis, physical examination, ECG, chest x ray must be associate with US exam. POCUS allows to made quickly appropriate diagnosis and to start adeguate therapy. POCUS is applicable in every ER and geriatric department.