Korean Circ J.  1972 Jun;2(1):29-36. 10.4070/kcj.1972.2.1.29.

Clinical Study on Geriatric Patients in Korea

• Song JS
• Seo JD
• Lee YW
• Han YC
• Chang JH
• Lee SH

• KMID: 1659423
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4070/kcj.1972.2.1.29

Abstract

Considering 2,524 cases aged 60 and over among total cases of 19,782 which has been cared as inpatient at Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University Hospital during the period of January 1963 through December 1970 (8 years), following datas have been obtained; 1. The admission rate of aged patients to the total number of inpatients at Department of Internal Medicine is increased annually. The average admission rate is 12.8%. 2. Sex ratio shows 58.9% in male and 41.1% in female, with female preponderance in the eighth and ninth decades. 3. In age distribution, the seventh decade is the most common as 78.2%, the eithth decade 19.9%, the ninth decade 1.3%. 4. Diseases in cardiovascular system are the most common as 29.9% of cases and the gastrointestinal system, 28.8% and the respiratory system, 17.3%. 5. The most frequent disease found is malignant disease (14.2%), as the frequency decreased in the order of cerebrovascular accident (12.1%), hypertension (10.6%), pulmonary tuberculosis (8.3%), diabetes mellitus (6.0%) and liver cirrhosis (5.7%). 6. Malignant diseases are found in stomach (30.8%), liver (28.8%) and lung (16.9%). Male is involved twice as much as female. 7. In disturbance of cardiovascular system, cerebrovascular accident (40.8%), hypertension (35.7%) and coronary heart disease (9.3%) are frequently observed. 8. In the diseases of gastrointestinal system, malignant neoplasm (33.9%), liver cirrhosis (19.6%), cholecystitis (11.0%), and peptic ulcer (10.7%) are common findings. 9. In the disturbances of respiratory system, pulmonary tuberculosis (48.0%), acute bronchitis and pneumonia (15.3%) and malignant neoplasm (14.2%) are common findings. 10. In renal disease, chronic renal failure occupies a half of the cases. 11. Intoxication is relatively common in old aged patients as 0.4%.

MeSH Terms

Age Distribution
Bronchitis
Cardiovascular System
Cholecystitis
Coronary Disease
Diabetes Mellitus
Female
Humans
Hypertension
Inpatients
Internal Medicine
Korea*
Liver
Liver Cirrhosis
Lung
Male
Peptic Ulcer
Pneumonia
Renal Insufficiency
Renal Insufficiency, Chronic
Respiratory System
Seoul
Sex Ratio
Stomach
Stroke
Tuberculosis, Pulmonary