2020–2021 BCSC Basic and Clinical Science Course™
1 Update on General Medicine
Chapter 10: Geriatrics
Highlights
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Cataract, age-related macular degeneration (AMD), ischemic optic neuropathy, giant cell arteritis, diabetic retinopathy, and glaucoma are all diseases that disproportionately affect older persons.
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The subspecialty of geriatrics emphasizes a different medical paradigm of functional assessment and a more holistic approach to patient care compared with the traditional medical paradigm.
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The ophthalmologist is uniquely qualified to assess the visual limitations and visual needs of the elderly patient and communicate them to the geriatrician.
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Referral for vision rehabilitation is appropriate for patients with visual acuity less than 20/40, central scotomata, visual field loss, or contrast sensitivity loss.
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The median age of the world’s population is increasing almost exponentially. This expanding older population presents a growing challenge to primary care physicians and medical subspecialists in the United States and Western Europe.
Excerpted from BCSC 2020-2021 series: Section 1 - Update on General Medicine. For more information and to purchase the entire series, please visit https://www.aao.org/bcsc.