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Chapter 23 - Serious infections in the elderly

from Section III - Care of the elderly by organ system

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 June 2016

By
David Alain Wohl  and
David van Duin
Edited by
Jan Busby-Whitehead ,
Christine Arenson ,
Samuel C. Durso ,
Daniel Swagerty ,
Laura Mosqueda ,
Maria Fiatarone Singh  and
William Reichel
Jan Busby-Whitehead
Affiliation:
University of North Carolina
Christine Arenson
Affiliation:
Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia
Samuel C. Durso
Affiliation:
The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Daniel Swagerty
Affiliation:
University of Kansas
Laura Mosqueda
Affiliation:
University of Southern California
Maria Fiatarone Singh
Affiliation:
University of Sydney
William Reichel
Affiliation:
Georgetown University, Washington DC
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Summary

As a host, older individuals suffer from changes in the adaptive and innate components of the immune system, leading to increased susceptibility to a number of serious infectious diseases. This reduced immunological competence, coupled with exposure to environments, such as health care facilities, that are rich with potential pathogens, further increase the risk of acquisition of infections that can be debilitating, if not lethal. Elder hosts may also manifest infectious diseases in less typical ways, delaying diagnosis and treatment. A full understanding of the infections that older persons are most at risk for—including bacterial infections (such as those of the urinary tract and the lungs) as well as viral infections (including influenza and herpes zoster)—are essential to the care of the elderly.
Type
Chapter
Information
Reichel's Care of the Elderly
Clinical Aspects of Aging
 , pp. 331 - 343
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2016

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