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Diagnostic Imaging for Elderly Patients

Emergency Tests for Aging Patients

If you have an elderly loved one, you know that they probably don’t ask for help too often — most tend to protect their independence by going shopping by themselves, driving, and completing most tasks alone. However, your loved one will eventually need your help.

Knowing when an elderly patient needs emergent care is essential. At Quality Care ER, our radiology technicians and imaging staff are fully trained to accurately and precisely perform examinations with timely results. Here’s what you can expect:

Emergency Imaging Services

Ultrasounds

Though ultrasounds are most commonly used during pregnancy, they can help emergency room doctors diagnose patients of all ages with other conditions — including the elderly. Ultrasounds can help with:

  • Cardiac issues.
  • Abdominal issues.
  • General biopsies.
  • Blood vessel issues.
  • Joint & muscle issues.

X-rays

Slips and falls are very common in elderly patients, and broken bones are more likely as their bones and joints are more brittle with age. X-rays can help us determine the extent of your loved one’s injuries. Some of the other common types of X-rays we would order include:

  • Chest (lungs, heart, bones)
  • Abdomen (bowels)
  • Urogram (kidneys, bladder etc.)

CT Scans

A CT scan combines multiple different types of X-rays into one scan. These images are taken from different angles to show a specific part of the body in detail. Common areas your emergency room doctor may order a CT scan for include:

  • Head (brain, eyes, inner ears, sinuses.)
  • Neck.
  • Chest (heart and lungs.)
  • Abdomen (GI tract, bladder, reproductive systems.)
  • Skeletal system.
  • Spine (cervical, thoracic, lumbar.

Signs Your Loved One is Having an Emergency

Whether your loved one lives at home alone or in a group home, we know that it can be scary to determine whether or not they should go to the emergency room. These are common signs that your loved one should go to the ER:

  • Trouble breathing.
  • Chest pains.
  • Sudden slurred speech.
  • Unresponsive/unconscious or disoriented.
  • Severe allergic reaction.
  • Sudden blindness.
  • Vomiting blood.
  • Sudden weakness.
  • Bleeding that will not stop.
  • Broken bones.
  • Serious burns.

Additionally, the most common reasons elderly patients visit the ER include:

If your elderly loved one is experiencing a medical emergency, dial 911 and visit our team at Quality Care ER.

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