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KMID : 1123920080220010256
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Korean Journal of Oriental Physiology and Pathology
2008 Volume.22 No. 1 p.256 ~ p.261
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Case of an Old-Age Patient with Ill-defined Severe Anorexia
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Jung Ki-Yong
Hsia Yu-Chun
Baik Jong-Woo
Choi You-Kyung
Kim Dong-Woo
Park Jong-Hyung
Jeon Chan-Yong
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Abstract
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Anorexia is a common symptom in the elderly patients. Causes of anorexia in the elderly are very diverse and multifactorial. Causes include physiological changes associated with aging, mental disorders such as depression, anorexia tardive, dementia, medical diseases such as cancer(lung and gastrointestinal cancer), benign gastrointestinal disorders, cardiac disorders, pulmonary disease, thyroid disorders, infection. Medications such as digoxin, theophylline have also been implicated in the problem. No cause is found in about one quarter of patients. Management is directing at treating causes and providing nutritional support. In Oriental medicine, the appetite has close relation to Biwi. The main cause of anorexia is the insufficiency of Biwi. The physiology of Biwi is that Bi sends clarity(food essence) upward and Wi sends digested food downward. Specially if the physiologic function of Wi is disordered by various factors, Wi cannot send digested food downward. As a result, the anorexia can present by the disorder of Wi function. We experienced a case of an 74 years old female patient with ill-defined severe anorexia differentiated as Wijoongheohan. The patient was managed with fluid therapy and Jeonghyangsiche-tang. The anorexia and other symptoms improved continuously during hospitalization.
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KEYWORD
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anorexia, elderly patients, Biwi(脾胃, Piwei), Wijoongheohan(胃中虛寒, Weizhongxuhan), Jeonghyangsiche-tang(Dingxiangshichai-tang)
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