Preventive and curative medicine have progressed surprisingly in these days so that the average life span has been extended and 65 years old or more people occupied 7% of total population in 1965. (Japan)
The number will increase constantly and it is expected that 15% or more of the total population will consist of these aged people in about 35 years. Although the importance of social welfare and rehabilitation have been stressed, we clinical doctors are forced to face the aging phenomenon in the treatment of these old patients.
So-called aging phenomenon is not a simple phenomenon but a complicated physiological degenerative process, from which many acute or chronic ailments must come out. The treatment of the elder patient is, therefore, quite different from that of an adult patient or an adolescent patient even if the same diagnosis is made.
Regarding the treatment of the aged patients, 2 important points must be recognized, as follows:
1) Allow them to get out of bed as soon as possible.
2) Encourage their motivation to be treated.
Surgical treatment is, therefore, acceptable in elderely patients in thinking of prevention of many complications, i. e, respiratory problems, decubitus, disuse atrophy and so on.
Otherwise complications which jeopardize their lives will not be avoided even if ortho-paedic operation itself is performed successfully.
The final goal should be rehabilitation of these patients, namely, gainful reemployment
抄録全体を表示