Pitfalls in imaging the frail elderly.

The number of older people in the UK is rising and will continue to increase. Furthermore, there is evidence that (i) the number of investigations on the oldest patients is disproportionately increasing, (ii) inappropriate and/or futile radiological investigations are commonplace and (iii) the requests are coming from the most junior doctors. In this article, we argue that the approach to investigating the frail elderly is different and complex. Careful thought and discussion is necessary to safely and compassionately investigate treatable conditions without causing unnecessary distress and suffering.