Clinical case · Frailty
Slowing down since his chest infection
An 82-year-old man has been tired, slow and weak since a hospital stay for pneumonia. Assess him for frailty, find the treatable causes of his exhaustion and build a care plan.
Beginner 12 minNeeds clinical review
You will learn to
- Screen for frailty and confirm it with a clinical assessment such as the physical frailty phenotype
- Look for treatable causes of exhaustion and review medicines
- Make exercise with progressive resistance training the first-line treatment, and know what is not recommended
Presentation
Step 1 of 10An 82-year-old man comes to clinic with his wife two months after a five-day hospital stay for pneumonia.
"He's not been the same since. He sleeps in the afternoon, he's given up his morning walk, and he struggles with the stairs."
References
- Dent E, Morley JE, Cruz-Jentoft AJ, et al. Physical Frailty: ICFSR International Clinical Practice Guidelines for Identification and Management. J Nutr Health Aging. 2019;23(9):771–787. doi:10.1007/s12603-019-1273-z · PubMed 31641726
- Cho JY, Cho DH, Youn JC, et al. Korean Society of Heart Failure Guidelines for the Management of Heart Failure: Definition and Diagnosis. Int J Heart Fail. 2023;5(2):51–65. doi:10.36628/ijhf.2023.0009 · PubMed 37180563
Last updated 2026-10-21.
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