Emergency medical services personnel calls to say they are en route to the emergency
department with “a semi-responsive elderly female who was found at home by her family.”
There are no signs of trauma. The history they provide is that the patient has lived
alone since the death of her husband 3 years ago. One of the children calls every
evening to “check on her.” Today, when she did not answer the phone, the son went
to the home, found her unresponsive in her chair, and called 911. The son arrives
with the paramedics and is able to give you information while other staff members
assess and stabilize the patient.
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References
- Alcohol use and older adults. National Institute on Aging.(Available at:) (Published October 2012. Accessed October 9, 2013)
- Alcohol use disorders in the elderly.Psychiatry Weekly. 2012; 8 (Available at:) (Accessed October 30, 2013)
- Harmful interactions; mixing alcohol with medications. National Institute of Health publication 03-5329.(Available at:) (Revised 2007. Accessed November 2, 2013)
- Health & Aging. Age Page. Alcohol use in older people.(Available at:) (Published March 2012. Updated October 17, 2013. Accessed October 7, 2013)
- Acute alcohol withdrawal: DT risk higher after age 65.Clinical Psychiatry News. 2011; (Available at: http://www.clinicalpsychiatrynews.com/index.php?id=2623&type=98&tx_ttnews[tt_news]=4. Accessed November 14, 2013)
- Introduction to SBIRT.(Available at:) (Accessed November 10, 2013)
Biography
Nancy Stephens Donatelli, Member, CODE Chapter, is Project Coordinator, Shenango Presbyterian SeniorCare, New Wilmington, PA.
Biography
Joan Somes, Member, Greater Twin Cities Chapter, is Staff Nurse/Department Educator, Emergency Department, St Joseph's Hospital, St Paul, MN.
Article Info
Publication History
Published online: January 21, 2014
Footnotes
Earn Up to 7.5 CE Hours. See page 202.
Section Editors: Nancy Stephens Donatelli, RN, MS, CEN, NE-BC, FAEN, and Joan Somes, RNC, PhD, CEN, CPEN, FAEN
Submissions to this column are encouraged and may be sent to
Joan Somes, RNC, PhD, CEN, CPEN, FAEN
or
Nancy Stephens Donatelli, RN, MS, CEN, NE-BC, FAEN
Identification
Copyright
© 2014 Emergency Nurses Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
