FTT (failure to thrive)
Formal Definition
A term used in geriatrics (and pediatrics) for a patient who is declining across multiple functional domains without a clear single cause.
How It's Used on the Ward
"She's FTT" — not eating, losing weight, increasingly confused, declining. Often the presentation when something is wrong but nothing specific stands out.
Example
""88-year-old female presenting with FTT: 15-pound weight loss over 3 months, decreased appetite, increased falls, and progressive functional decline. Broad workup including malignancy screen, thyroid, depression screen.""
Clinical Context
FTT is a diagnosis of exclusion requiring a broad workup. In the ED and on the wards it often signals a need for a geriatric evaluation and a social work assessment — is this about medical illness, depression, caregiver failure, or inadequate nutrition?