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Senile pruritus is one of the most common conditions in the elderly or people over 65 years of age with an emerging itch that may be accompanied with changes in temperature and textural characteristics. [1] [2] [3] In the elderly, xerosis, is the most common cause for an itch due to the degradation of the skin barrier over time. [4]
Pellagra is a disease caused by a lack of the vitamin niacin (vitamin B 3). [2] Symptoms include inflamed skin, diarrhea, dementia, and sores in the mouth. [1] Areas of the skin exposed to friction and radiation are typically affected first. [1]
The term friable is also used to describe tumors in medicine. This is an important determination because tumors that are easily torn apart have a higher risk of malignancy and metastasis. Examples: Some forms of cancer, such as atrial myxoma; An inflamed gallbladder
Chronic wound exudate contains proteolytic enzymes and other components that degrade skin integrity and predispose it to inflammation. [8] [9] Moisture-associated skin damage can also be caused by bodily fluids or other contaminants that enter the periwound areas, for example, in patients with urinary or fecal incontinence, or colostomy ...
Additionally, due to the natural processes of aging, the skin of geriatric patients has impaired mechanisms to protect against burns, including impaired neurosensory sensitivity, skin permeability, and regeneration capacity. These impairments lead to deeper wounds, prolonged wound healing, and lower potential for complete recovery.
Skin ulcers appear as open craters, often round, with layers of skin that have eroded. The skin around the ulcer may be red, swollen, and tender. Patients may feel pain on the skin around the ulcer, and fluid may ooze from the ulcer. In some cases, ulcers can bleed and, rarely, patients experience fever. Ulcers sometimes seem not to heal ...
Moreover, common diseases may present atypically in elderly patients, adding further diagnostic and therapeutic complexity to patient care. Geriatrics is highly interdisciplinary consisting of specialty providers from the fields of medicine, nursing, pharmacy, social work, and physical and occupational therapy.
In hospitals, the elderly face the very real problem of ageism. For example, doctors and nurses often mistake symptoms of delirium for normal elderly behavior. Delirium is a condition that has hyperactive and hypoactive stages. In the hypoactive stages, elderly patients can just seem like they are sleeping or irritable. [15]