A study of clinical profile of elderly patients admitted in medicine wards of a tertiary care hospital in Northeast India

Abstract

Background: This study was conducted to ensure the quality of life and to address the health care needs of this rapidly growing, vulnerable, and heterogeneous elderly population, as the reliable data about their health problems from different parts of India are still lacking. Aims: The aim of this study is to determine the clinical profile of elderly patients of age ≥65 years, admitted in the medical wards at a tertiary care hospital. Settings and Design: Cross sectional study. Materials and Methods: This study was conducted at a tertiary care hospital from September 2016 to August 2018 on 200 elderly inpatients of the Department of Medicine. Statistical Analysis: Descriptive and inferential statistical analysis were used. Results: Of 200 patients, 123 were male and 77 female. The mean age of patients was 72.85 years with a standard deviation of 7.33 years. Easy fatiguability was the most common presenting symptom across all the three age groups with 51 patients (40.2%) in young old, 16 (30.8%) and 16 (76.2%) in old and oldest-old age groups, respectively. Other symptoms included anorexia 80 (40%), fever 64 (32%), vomiting 59 (29.5%), giddiness 41 (20.5%), and weight loss 32 (16%). The system-wise morbidity profile revealed that the most cases had neurological diseases. An average number of ailments per person was found to be higher in the oldest-old age group. Conclusion: Easy fatiguability was the most common presenting symptom in all the three age groups. Neurological, endocrine, and cardiorespiratory diseases were important causes for hospitalization and majority of cases had three or more ailments necessitating hospitalization.