Atypical Presentation Of Illness In Older Adults

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In the older adults, some conditions can occur without their characteristic features. Atypical presentation of illness is defined as vague, altered, non-presentation of illness (Gray-Miceli, 2005). A typical symptoms of heart attack are chest pain, upper body pain, stomach pain, shortness of breath, anxiety, lightheadedness, sweating, nausea, and vomiting. However, the classic atypical presentation of heart disease such as heart failure and myocardial infarction may cause confusion, agitation, anorexia, weakness, insomnia, fatigue, weight loss and lethargy in elderly patients. Likewise, diabetes mellitus may present atypical presentation of illness such as acute confusion, lack of pain in situations that are usually painful, functional

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