We felt it could come in handy some time in our mother's lifetime or even our own. An informed consumer sets the tone for better service. We felt it would be important to use the proper medical terminology and know what the words mean. We believe this kind of diligence will pay off in subtle ways. The first thing we learned was that chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, frequently complicated by respiratory infections, was the fourth leading cause of death in the elderly, with pneumonia and respiratory infections next in line.
Proper diagnosis becomes essential.
We should point out that confirming a diagnosis is a way to prolong a stay in a hospital. You do need facts to back up what you are saying. A dual diagnosis will prolong a stay in a hospital. Important in fighting off infections is a substance called immunoglobulin, produced in response to antigens or infectious agents. The elderly produce normal immunoglobulin to agents they have met before but lower levels of immunoglobulin to new antigens.