TITLE:
Elderly and Very Elderly Patients Admitted to the Medical Emergency Department of the University Hospital of Bouaké (Ivory Coast)
AUTHORS:
Lauret Kouassi, N’guessan Michel Konan, Gilles Renaud Kouamé, Gnadou Stéphane Keny Yapa, Kadidiata Hamed Touré, Salifou Koné, Ubrich Venceslas Acko, Famoussa Koné, Jean Kévin Acho, Ouattara Bourhaima
KEYWORDS:
Morbidities, Elderly Patients, Medical Emergencies, Bouaké
JOURNAL NAME:
Advances in Aging Research,
Vol.14 No.2,
March
5,
2025
ABSTRACT: Background: The state of health of the elderly varies considerably depending on their age. Older people are characterized by a more marked functional decline, increasing frailty and a high prevalence of chronic pathologies. Hence the more frequent use of emergency services. Objective: The aim of this study was to examine the comorbidities and conditions of elderly people admitted to emergency departments, and to compare the very elderly with younger seniors. Material and method: This was a retrospective descriptive and analytical study carried out over a six-month period in the medical emergency department of the Bouaké University Hospital, on patients aged 65 and over. Young senior patients (aged 65 to 74) were compared with so-called elderly senior patients (aged 75). Results: We included a population of 374 patients, representing a prevalence of 12.1%, divided into 56.9% young seniors and 43.1% elderly seniors. The mean age of the patients was 74.2 years, and the overall sex ratio of the sample was 1.21. With regard to comorbidities, a significant association was observed between advanced age and the development of heart disease. Infections were observed in 55.6% of patients, but no link was established between advanced age and the occurrence of infections. Pleuropulmonary infections were the most frequent (40.4%). On the other hand, for non-infectious pathologies, a link was noted between advancing age and cardiovascular pathologies. Stroke and decompensated heart disease were the most common pathologies in both young and elderly patients. No correlation was observed between the age of patients and the duration of their observation. The mortality rate was 26.4%, and a significant relationship was observed between advanced age and the occurrence of death (p = 0.04723), with a higher mortality rate in the elderly (31.6%) than in the young elderly (22.5%). Conclusion: Advancing age is associated with the onset and decompensation of cardiovascular pathologies. It is also associated with death. However, most comorbidities and acute emergencies remain similar in the two age groups.