Geriatric Trauma
Basics
Description
Description
- Geriatric-specific considerations and approach to the elderly trauma patient, generally age >65
- Should be used in conjunction with the accepted standard treatment of traumatic injuries (see “Trauma, Multiple”)
- Advanced age is a known risk factor for adverse outcomes following trauma
- Overall frailty and comorbid illnesses decrease physiologic reserve and result in poorer outcomes
- Advances in the management of chronic diseases have resulted in more active lifestyles in elderly individuals predisposing them to injury
Etiology
Etiology
- Trauma is the fifth leading cause of death in the elderly
- Elderly are more susceptible to serious injury from low-energy mechanisms
- Falls – most common cause, often occurs on an even, flat surface and frequently recurrent within 1 yr
- Motor vehicle crashes – second leading cause, most common fatal etiology
- Pedestrian – motor vehicle collisions, diminished cognitive skills, poor vision/hearing, impaired gait contribute to increased incidence
- Burns – higher fatality rate than young adults with same extent of burn
- Violence – less common mechanism than in younger ages, have heightened suspicion for elderly abuse, an under recognized issue
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Citation
Schaider, Jeffrey J., et al., editors. "Geriatric Trauma." 5-Minute Emergency Consult, 6th ed., Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2020. Emergency Central, emergency.unboundmedicine.com/emergency/view/5-Minute_Emergency_Consult/307661/all/Geriatric_Trauma.
Geriatric Trauma. In: Schaider JJJ, Barkin RMR, Hayden SRS, et al, eds. 5-Minute Emergency Consult. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2020. https://emergency.unboundmedicine.com/emergency/view/5-Minute_Emergency_Consult/307661/all/Geriatric_Trauma. Accessed October 4, 2024.
Geriatric Trauma. (2020). In Schaider, J. J., Barkin, R. M., Hayden, S. R., Wolfe, R. E., Barkin, A. Z., Shayne, P., & Rosen, P. (Eds.), 5-Minute Emergency Consult (6th ed.). Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. https://emergency.unboundmedicine.com/emergency/view/5-Minute_Emergency_Consult/307661/all/Geriatric_Trauma
Geriatric Trauma [Internet]. In: Schaider JJJ, Barkin RMR, Hayden SRS, Wolfe RER, Barkin AZA, Shayne PP, Rosen PP, editors. 5-Minute Emergency Consult. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2020. [cited 2024 October 04]. Available from: https://emergency.unboundmedicine.com/emergency/view/5-Minute_Emergency_Consult/307661/all/Geriatric_Trauma.
* Article titles in AMA citation format should be in sentence-case
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