Admitted to the emergency department over 65 years of clinical and demographic characteristics of patients

In Turkey as well as in the world, along with the rising share of older people in the total population, their presentation rates to Emergency Departments are steadily increasing in this study, therefore, our aim is to document clinical and socio-demographic characteristics of patients aged 65 and older presenting to our Emergency Service.In the study, the attendance data of 1719 patients aged 65 and above, treated in the Emergency Service of Dicle University Hospital, were retrospectively stuided of 1719 patients, included into the study, 903 (52.5%) were males, and 816 (47.5%) were females. Of those patients, 197 (11.5%) died, 57.9% (n=114) of whom were males and 42.1% (n=83) ofwhom were females.When analysed in terms of mean ages according to the gender, the mean age was found to be 75.20± 7.14 (65-107) in females, while it was 74.18± 6.20 (65-102) in males, suggesting that the mean age of females was significantly higher with respect to male patients (p=0,002).As for marital status of our patients, the rate of being widowed in females, and that of being married in males were determined to be significantly higher when compared with their counter-genders (p<0.001).When our patients were examined in terms of education, the education level was found to be significantly higher in males.In additten , through analysis of the patients presententing complaints, the first five causes were as follows: dyspnea (27.9%), other internal complaints (23.6%), abdominal pain (15.3%), chest pain (13.0%) and conscience alteratien (9.9%). The mortality rate was observed to be significantly higher in those with conscience alteratien and exposure to non-vehicle traffic accidents.The follow-up and treatment of 41.2% of our patients were performeal at our emergency service and the mortality rate of our clinic, where the diagnosis and therapies of the majority of our patients are conducted was 7.6%.Through the improvement of living conditiens, elder population is increasing in our country as well, and thus the number of elder patients presenting to the emergency service is also rising.Ageing-related problems accompanied by more than one chronic illness require a more different and careful approach towards the elderly patients.Key words: Ageing, demography, Emergency Department, clinical characteristics.