Category: Paging The Doctor On Call

The common metabolic profile (CMP) panel is a test done as part of an annual physical examination. It is also part of a specific disease workup. The CMP test includes the four commonly tested electrolytes: sodium, potassium,...

Fall has arrived and so has the time for vaccination. It is important for us to be vaccinated around this time of the year to help prevent the most common infections including flu or influenza, COVID-19 and respiratory syncytial...

Using injectables for weight loss has become the talk of the town and the major players in this market are Wegovy and Zepbound. Wegovy was originally marketed as Ozempic and Zepbound was originally marketed as Mounjaro used for...

A total knee replacement replaces all three compartments. Unicondylar knee replacement replaces one compartment. Compared to a total knee, this surgery only removes about 10 percent of the bone. Also, the “Uni” has 1/3 the...

Body mass index (BMI) is a simple, reliable and low-cost screening measure of health in adults. BMI is interpreted differently for adults and older adults. The normal range for BMI has been worked out to be between 18.5 and 25....

Older adults are usually diagnosed with fewer alcohol use disorders compared to younger and middle age adults. The number of Alcohol Use Disorders in older adults is only second to prescription medication disorders or...

Detecting possible cognitive impairment is the first step in determining whether or not a patient needs dementia screening and evaluation. Dementia is one of the most common medical conditions seen in older adults ranging from...

Influenza is a potentially serious disease that can lead to hospitalization and even sometimes death. Every year the flu season is different, affecting millions of people and hospitalizing thousands of patients. Some...

Shingrix, also known as the recombinant zoster vaccine or the shingles vaccine, is recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for adults 50 and older. People should be getting two doses of the vaccine at...

Opioid misuse has garnered attention as a global epidemic in recent years. In the past 25 years, opioid usage among older adults has increased nearly ninefold. The older adult population warrants specific attention because it is...

The nutritional requirements of older adults differ from that of younger adults because of normal metabolic and body composition changes that are associated with aging and the underlying medical comorbidities. There are simple...

Frailty is of a central focus in the geriatric age group. Simply put it is a clinical syndrome of dysregulation of energetics and multiple physiological systems in the body. There are basically two kinds of frailty, physical...