Waarschuwingssignalen voor acute verergering van chronische ziekten

• With the increasing number of patients with chronic diseases – particularly elderly patients – the number of acute episodes related to these diseases will also sharply increase and form a large part of the total disease burden.
• It is possible to identify patient groups with increased risk of acute episodes related to a chronic disease, such as patients with an increased risk of a COPD exacerbation.
• In elderly patients, the presence of ‘frailty’ signals an increased risk of acute geriatric syndromes, such as falls, delirium, or acute loss of function.
• Slow recovery from temporary episodes related to a disease after exposure to a stressor may be an early warning sign for patients with a chronic disease. These patients are approaching a tipping point towards a more severe disease state in their chronic disease trajectory.
• Identification of such early warning signs for acute episodes related to chronic diseases may greatly improve the treatment and management of patients with chronic diseases.

Conflict of interest and financial support: none declared.