The 80-year-old patient has fallen. The fall impacted the right arm and hip. The patient describes the fall as painful, the skin is intact, and neither edema nor redness is noted. What is the emergency department care team's best course of action?
A) Discharge the patient home with instructions to follow up with the family doctor if further pain is noted.
B) Assess the patient for fractures in spite of the absence of obvious signs or symptoms.
C) Refer the patent to physiotherapy for rehabilitation.
D) Design an exercise program to increase the patient's stamina to prevent future falls.
B
Feedback:
The absence of common signs and symptoms of fracture does not rule out the possibility of a fracture in older adults; a diagnostic workup would be indicated. Discharge would be premature, as would physiotherapy and an exercise program.
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