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Introduction: Older people living with frailty and/or cognitive impairment who have coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) experience higher rates of critical illness. There are also people who become critically ill with COVID‐19 for whom a decision is made to take a palliative approach to their care. The need for clinical guidance in these two populations resulted in the formation of the Care of Older People and Palliative Care Panel of the National COVID‐19 Clinical Evidence Taskforce in June 2020. This specialist panel consists of nursing, medical, pharmacy and allied health experts in geriatrics and palliative care from across Australia. Main recommendations: The panel was tasked with developing two clinical flow charts for the management of people with COVID‐19 who are i) older and living with frailty and/or cognitive impairment, and ii) receiving palliative care for COVID‐19 or other underlying illnesses. The flow charts focus on goals of care, communication, medication management, escalation of care, active disease‐directed care, and managing symptoms such as delirium, anxiety, agitation, breathlessness or cough. The Taskforce also developed living guideline recommendations for the care of adults with COVID‐19, including a commentary to discuss special considerations when caring for older people and those requiring palliative care. Changes in management as result of the guideline: The practice points in the flow charts emphasise quality clinical care, with a focus on addressing the most important challenges when caring for older individuals and people with COVID‐19 requiring palliative care. The adult recommendations contain additional considerations for the care of older people and those requiring palliative care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Keywords: Health services for the aged EN Health services for the aged 206 206 1 09/01/21 20210901 NES 210901 The concept of the "ABCD of CGA" would result in varying assessments depending on the environment and needs of the patient The comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) is considered the gold standard assessment tool for evaluating and providing care to at-risk and frail older patients. The information gathered is used to inform and formulate a detailed and individualised care plan with identified goals focusing on restoring or maintaining function with clear follow-up.1-3 The concept of the geriatric evaluation was developed in the 1930s by British geriatrician Marjory Warren, who recognised that older patients with multiple comorbidities and poor functional status often lacked diagnoses and clear management plans. We propose a new concept of the "ABCD (abbreviated, brief, comprehensive, detailed) of CGA" with varying models of CGA depending on the setting and needs of the patient. [Extracted from the article]

The article explains ways to distinguish two types of oedema including pitting and non-pitting for determining treatment and underlying aetiology. Topics covered include general or localised oedema, grading of peripheral oedema as to proximal extent and factors such as higher intravascular hydrostatic pressure and increased permeability of blood vessel walls. Also cited are oedema pathophysiology, generalised oedema related to kidney disease and hypoplastic aetiology of non-pitting oedema.