A survey of peripheral oedema in elderly patients admitted to a geriatric ward

Peripheral oedema is common in elderly people. This two-month survey of an acute geriatric ward found that 48% of the 63 admissions over that period had oedema either on, or during the course of their admission. In many cases this was mild and asymptomatic, but complications of oedema were the cause of admission for four patients. The oedema was often multifactorial, but gravitational forces in dependent limbs seemed to be an important factor for many cases. Few patients were receiving any specific treatment for their oedema. It is concluded that oedema may be underrecognised, and that if greater attention is paid to this problem at an earlier stage, some of the associated morbidity could be avoided.