1st April 2022

An 83-year-old woman has been referred to A&E from her GP, due to increased confusion

An 83-year-old woman has been referred to A&E from her GP, due to increased confusion. She has a past medical history of hypertension, ischaemic heart disease, osteoporosis, and gallstones, but no history of any cognitive impairment. She lives with her husband in a bungalow, and they are independent of most activities of daily living, although their family help with the shopping and gardening. Her family brought her to the GP as they were concerned that she had become confused, and also reported that she had been incontinent of urine that day, which is unusual for her. The patient does not appear to recognise the doctor or the daughter who is accompanying her, states she is at the supermarket when asked where she is. Her Abbreviated Mental Test score is 4/10. When her family saw her four days ago, she was entirely her normal self. She complains of some pain in her stomach, on assessment.

Which of the following statements about the management of this patient is correct? 

Select the SINGLE most appropriate option from the list below. Select ONE option only.