Multifactorial Causes of Failure to Thrive in a 79-Year-Old Male

Abstract

We discuss a case of a 79-year-old Caucasian male with a multifactoral etiology of failure to thrive. Without having any significant past medical problems, the patient's failure to thrive condition initiated following an acute stroke. Over the course of this and future hospitalizations, as well as inpatient care, numerous factors contributing to his failure to thrive were identified. These included: malnutrition, post stroke debility, dysphagia, anemia, depression and malignancy. This report serves to document a complicated case of failure to thrive in a geriatric patient with focused discussion of some etiological contributions to a failure to thrive condition. Additionally, we will describe some salient features pertaining to the clinical management of such cases.