„Leczyć czy nie leczyć” – rozwój medycyny geriatrycznej w Polsce w okresie powojennym do lat 70. (wybrane zagadnienia)

Abstract

“To treat or not to treat” – the development of geriatric medicine in Poland in the post-war period until 70’s (Selected Issues) Aging is a slow but progressive and irreversible process. It leads to old age, which is characterized by increasing unfavorable changes in the body. They cover the biological, mental and social spheres. They affect all organs and systems. They cause, among others: failure of regulatory and adaptive mechanisms, instability of water, heat and electrolyte management, and failure of detoxification organs. In the post-war period, this posed a challenge in the diagnosis and treatment of this age group. Due to the specificity of diseases in the elderly, diagnostics attempted to distinguish groups of patients in relation to the severity of changes, which could facilitate the identification of deficits, needs and problems in order to make a diagnosis. The ongoing changes in the morphology, physiology and pathology of older people resulted in specific therapy, both in terms of conservative and surgical treatment, with particular emphasis on pharmacotherapy. The aim of the study was to learn about selected aspects of the development of geriatric medicine in the post-war period, with particular emphasis on the specificity of pathology, diagnosis and therapy in old age.