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Falls
The son of a elderly lady got in touch with concerns about his mother falling over. When discussing the nature of her falls we noted she had had a history of postural hypotension (this is when a person's blood pressure falls when they stand up from a lying or sitting position).
We checked the lying and standing blood pressure and noted it was still dropping. On review of her medication she was taking medication for postural hypotension (fludrocortisone) to increase her blood pressure but also a blood pressure medication (Losartan) to lower her blood pressure. Both the medications were acting against each other and contributing to the falls.
A phonecall to the GP and the blood pressure medication was stopped and most importantly the falls stopped.
Bone Protection
The son of an older adult got in touch with concerns about his mother who had had a fall, broken her hip and now required rehab at home. We soon got her mobile with a frame, getting out of house and into her garden again but had noted that she had not been started on bone protection (Alendronic acid) since sustaining a fragility fracture (broken hip)
Bone protection medication slows the rate at which a person's bone is broken down in their bodies. This maintains bone density and reduces your future risk of breaking a bone.
A quick phonecall to the GP and this was started.
Fracture identification
The daughter of an older adult got in touch after her father had developed severe lower back pain after a fall. On discussing the nature of the fall, he had lost his balance and landed on his bottom. SInce then he had struggled to get in and out of bed and walking.
On examination he had a very tender lower spine and given the type of fall he had, a vertebral compression fracture was highly likely. We liaised with the GP and requested consideration for an urgent lumbar x-ray which subsequently showed a vertebral compression fracture.
He was prescribed strong pain killers and bone protection and is now completing country walks as part of his rehabilitation.
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