[Deterioration of general condition: a "geriatric syndrome"?]

Deterioration of general condition (DGC) is a common cause of admission in geriatrics. Except some French textbooks which define DGC as a clinical pattern that associates asthenia, anorexia and wheigt loss, we did not find a consensus to define this entity.

To assess the clinical pattern that covers DGC as a cause of admission in an acute geriatric unit.

Analyse of 747 medical charts of patients consecutively admitted between April 2006 and September 2008. The admission's complaints of patients were identified with a particular focus on the triad asthenia, anorexia and weight loss.

Two hundred eleven patients (28%) were admitted during this period for DGC. Among them, 38% had at least one of the complaints that characterizes the concept of DGC (asthenia, anorexia, weight loss), 2% had three complaints, 8% had at least two and 28% one. Among patients referred for DGC, 45% were admitted for one or more geriatric problems and 53% for complaints of medico-surgical condition.

The lack of consistency in the clinical picture of patients admitted for DGC does not say whether it's a real syndrome. In geriatrics, however it could represent an expression of frailty.