Applying Strategies From Pediatrics to the Treatment of Hospitalized Adults
Authors: Philip D. St. John
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (2015)

Letters15 December 2015Applying Strategies From Pediatrics to the Treatment of Hospitalized AdultsPhilip D. St. John, MD, MPHPhilip D. St. John, MD, MPHFrom University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/L15-5178 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail TO THE EDITOR:Children are not little adults; however, there are lessons to be learned from their care, as O'Brien and colleagues (1) rightly claim. Of course, there are also lessons learned from adult medicine that simply need to be implemented. The authors curiously omit a large body of literature accrued over decades from the specialty of geriatrics. In the 1930s and 1940s, the general principles of inpatient geriatric care were clearly articulated—most of which are similar to those currently adopted in pediatrics. These include a physical environment appropriate for convalescence, recreational space and activities, an organized health care team ...References1. O'Brien MR, Rosenthal MS, Dharmarajan K, Krumholz HM. Balloon animals, guitars, and fewer blood draws: applying strategies from pediatrics to the treatment of hospitalized adults. Ann Intern Med. 2015;162:726-7. [PMID: 25984849]. doi:10.7326/M14-2219 LinkGoogle Scholar2. Warren M. Care of the chronic aged sick. Lancet. 1946;247:841-3. CrossrefGoogle Scholar3. Warren MW. Care of chronic sick. Br Med J. 1943;2:822-3. [PMID: 20785199] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar4. Ellis G, Whitehead MA, Robinson D, O'Neill D, Langhorne P. Comprehensive geriatric assessment for older adults admitted to hospital: meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. BMJ. 2011;343:d6553. [PMID: 22034146] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar5. Inouye SK, Bogardus ST, Baker DI, Leo-Summers L, Cooney LM. The Hospital Elder Life Program: a model of care to prevent cognitive and functional decline in older hospitalized patients. Hospital Elder Life Program. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2000;48:1697-706. [PMID: 11129764] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAuthors: Philip D. St. John, MD, MPHAffiliations: From University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.Disclosures: Disclosures can be viewed at www.acponline.org/authors/icmje/ConflictOfInterestForms.do?msNum=L15-0497. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsSee AlsoBalloon Animals, Guitars, and Fewer Blood Draws: Applying Strategies From Pediatrics to the Treatment of Hospitalized Adults Michael R. O'Brien , Marjorie S. Rosenthal , Kumar Dharmarajan , and Harlan M. Krumholz Applying Strategies From Pediatrics to the Treatment of Hospitalized Adults Michael R. O'Brien Metrics 15 December 2015Volume 163, Issue 12Page: 959KeywordsChildrenDisabilitiesDisclosureElderlyEvidence based medicineGeriatric careGeriatricsHealth careInpatientsPediatrics ePublished: 15 December 2015 Issue Published: 15 December 2015 Copyright & PermissionsCopyright © 2015 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF downloadLoading ...