Gait speed test

The gait speed test is a great test to assess for frailty as a component of the preoperative assessment.

“Frailty is an age-related, multidimensional state of decreased physiologic reserves. Frail patients are at increased risk of decline as a result of illness or stressors such as surgery. The definition and assessment of frailty are still not uniformly agreed upon, but gait speed is recognized as a highly reliable single measurement tool. The other options listed are useful components of a geriatric assessment but are not used as a single test for the evaluation of frailty.” ABFM

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References
Am Fam Physician 2011;83(1):48-56.The Geriatric Assessment

J Am Coll Surg 2015;221(6):1083-1092.

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