Older age, comorbid illnesses, and injury severity affect immediate outcome in elderly trauma patients

Introduction: Trauma in elderly population is frequent and is associated with significant mortality, not only due to age but also due to complicated factors such as the severity of injury, preexisting comorbidity, and incomplete general assessment. Our primary aim was to determine whether age, Injur...

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Main Authors: Dvora Kirshenbom, Zila Ben-Zaken, Nehama Albilya, Eva Niyibizi, Miklosh Bala
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications 2017-01-01
Series:Journal of Emergencies, Trauma and Shock
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.onlinejets.org/article.asp?issn=0974-2700;year=2017;volume=10;issue=3;spage=146;epage=150;aulast=Kirshenbom
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author Dvora Kirshenbom
Zila Ben-Zaken
Nehama Albilya
Eva Niyibizi
Miklosh Bala
author_facet Dvora Kirshenbom
Zila Ben-Zaken
Nehama Albilya
Eva Niyibizi
Miklosh Bala
author_sort Dvora Kirshenbom
collection DOAJ
description Introduction: Trauma in elderly population is frequent and is associated with significant mortality, not only due to age but also due to complicated factors such as the severity of injury, preexisting comorbidity, and incomplete general assessment. Our primary aim was to determine whether age, Injury Severity Score (ISS), and preexisting comorbidities had an adverse effect on the outcome in patients aged 65 years and above following blunt trauma. Methods: We included 1027 patients aged ≥65 years who were admitted to our Level I Trauma Center following blunt trauma. Patients' charts were reviewed for demographics, ISS, mechanism of injury, preexisting comorbidities, Intensive Care Unit and hospital length of stay, complications, and in-hospital mortality. Results: The mean age of injured patients was 78.8 ± 8.3 years (range 65–109). The majority of patients had mild injury severity (ISS 9–14, 66.8%). Multiple comorbidities (≥3) were found in 233 patients (22.7%). Mortality during the hospitalization stay (n = 35, 3.4%) was associated with coronary artery disease, renal failure, dementia, and warfarin use (P < 0.05). Chronic anticoagulation treatment was recorded in 13% of patients. The addition of a single comorbidity increased the odds of wound infection to 1.29 and sepsis to 1.25. Both age and ISS increased the odds of death as −1.08 and −2.47, respectively. Conclusions: Our analysis shows that age alone in elderly trauma population is not a robust measure of outcome, and more valuable predictors such as injury severity, preexisting comorbidities, and medications are accounted for adverse outcome. Trauma care in this population with special considerations should be tailored to meet their specific needs.
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spelling doaj.art-708b540f068c4342bb36b1c6eb64da872022-12-21T17:48:43ZengWolters Kluwer Medknow PublicationsJournal of Emergencies, Trauma and Shock0974-27002017-01-0110314615010.4103/JETS.JETS_62_16Older age, comorbid illnesses, and injury severity affect immediate outcome in elderly trauma patientsDvora KirshenbomZila Ben-ZakenNehama AlbilyaEva NiyibiziMiklosh BalaIntroduction: Trauma in elderly population is frequent and is associated with significant mortality, not only due to age but also due to complicated factors such as the severity of injury, preexisting comorbidity, and incomplete general assessment. Our primary aim was to determine whether age, Injury Severity Score (ISS), and preexisting comorbidities had an adverse effect on the outcome in patients aged 65 years and above following blunt trauma. Methods: We included 1027 patients aged ≥65 years who were admitted to our Level I Trauma Center following blunt trauma. Patients' charts were reviewed for demographics, ISS, mechanism of injury, preexisting comorbidities, Intensive Care Unit and hospital length of stay, complications, and in-hospital mortality. Results: The mean age of injured patients was 78.8 ± 8.3 years (range 65–109). The majority of patients had mild injury severity (ISS 9–14, 66.8%). Multiple comorbidities (≥3) were found in 233 patients (22.7%). Mortality during the hospitalization stay (n = 35, 3.4%) was associated with coronary artery disease, renal failure, dementia, and warfarin use (P < 0.05). Chronic anticoagulation treatment was recorded in 13% of patients. The addition of a single comorbidity increased the odds of wound infection to 1.29 and sepsis to 1.25. Both age and ISS increased the odds of death as −1.08 and −2.47, respectively. Conclusions: Our analysis shows that age alone in elderly trauma population is not a robust measure of outcome, and more valuable predictors such as injury severity, preexisting comorbidities, and medications are accounted for adverse outcome. Trauma care in this population with special considerations should be tailored to meet their specific needs.http://www.onlinejets.org/article.asp?issn=0974-2700;year=2017;volume=10;issue=3;spage=146;epage=150;aulast=KirshenbomBlunt traumacomplicationsgeriatric traumainjury severitymortality
spellingShingle Dvora Kirshenbom
Zila Ben-Zaken
Nehama Albilya
Eva Niyibizi
Miklosh Bala
Older age, comorbid illnesses, and injury severity affect immediate outcome in elderly trauma patients
Journal of Emergencies, Trauma and Shock
Blunt trauma
complications
geriatric trauma
injury severity
mortality
title Older age, comorbid illnesses, and injury severity affect immediate outcome in elderly trauma patients
title_full Older age, comorbid illnesses, and injury severity affect immediate outcome in elderly trauma patients
title_fullStr Older age, comorbid illnesses, and injury severity affect immediate outcome in elderly trauma patients
title_full_unstemmed Older age, comorbid illnesses, and injury severity affect immediate outcome in elderly trauma patients
title_short Older age, comorbid illnesses, and injury severity affect immediate outcome in elderly trauma patients
title_sort older age comorbid illnesses and injury severity affect immediate outcome in elderly trauma patients
topic Blunt trauma
complications
geriatric trauma
injury severity
mortality
url http://www.onlinejets.org/article.asp?issn=0974-2700;year=2017;volume=10;issue=3;spage=146;epage=150;aulast=Kirshenbom
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