37342 - Medical Clinic of Aging

Learning outcomes

At the end of the module the student: - knows the demographic data of the Italian population and the general international indications in the geriatric field, with an ethical and welfare value; - knows the methodological basis of clinical reasoning to diagnose major geriatric syndromes, slowly evolving systemic diseases and comorbidities; - knows how to apply to the patient the principles of differential diagnostics and prognosis for diseases and syndromes of greater severity and prevalence in the elderly of our country; - knows how to frame the state of health of the old man, understood as a person, as a sick person and as a subject placed in specific contexts (home, hospital, retirement home, RSA); - knows how to integrate elderly patient management strategies using all available human and technological territorial and hospital resources; - knows how to communicate with the elderly patient, with his relatives and with healthcare professionals, in particular on the topic of death, suffering and decay; - knows the indications and contraindications of the main diagnostic and therapeutic measures, including invasive ones, in adults, the elderly and those over eighty; - knows how to set up therapeutic programs, also oriented towards prevention and rehabilitation, for the most frequent geriatric syndromes according to international guidelines; - knows how to use from a theoretical point of view the main means of e-care, telemedicine, e-health, computerized medical records, etc. that can be used in geriatric medicine.

Course contents

- Demography and Epidemiology

- Biology of aging 

- Fragility

- Multimorbidity

- Sarcopenia

- Comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA)

- Atypical clinical manifestation of diseases

- Polypharmacy and deprescribing

- Geriatric Syndromes

- Heart failure in older adults

- Syncope

- Stroke

- Anemia in older adults 

- Delirium, Dementia and Depression

- Malnutrition, Dehydration, Electrolyte Imbalances

- Osteoporosis, falls and fractures

- Diabetes mellitus, metabolic syndrome and thyroid disease

- Infections in older adults

- Polymyargia rheumatica and autoimmune diseases in older adults 

- Evalutation and management of older surgical patients 

- Network of territorial services

Readings/Bibliography

Halter JB, Ouslander JG, Studenski S, High KP, Asthana S, Supiano MA, Ritchie CS, Schmader K. eds. Hazzard's Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology, 8e. McGraw-Hill Education; 2022.

Teaching methods

Frontal lessons including discussion of cases

Assessment methods

Oral exams

Office hours

See the website of Elisa Fabbri