Challenges in the PREHOSPITAL emergency management of geriatric trauma patients – a scoping review
Abstract Background Despite a widely acknowledged increase in older people presenting with traumatic injury in western populations there remains a lack of research into the optimal prehospital management of this vulnerable patient group. Research into this cohort faces many uniqu1e challenges, such...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2021-07-01
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| Series: | Scandinavian Journal of Trauma, Resuscitation and Emergency Medicine |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s13049-021-00922-1 |
| _version_ | 1819080461150846976 |
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| author | Michael Eichinger Henry Douglas Pow Robb Cosmo Scurr Harriet Tucker Stefan Heschl George Peck |
| author_facet | Michael Eichinger Henry Douglas Pow Robb Cosmo Scurr Harriet Tucker Stefan Heschl George Peck |
| author_sort | Michael Eichinger |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Despite a widely acknowledged increase in older people presenting with traumatic injury in western populations there remains a lack of research into the optimal prehospital management of this vulnerable patient group. Research into this cohort faces many uniqu1e challenges, such as inconsistent definitions, variable physiology, non-linear presentation and multi-morbidity. This scoping review sought to summarise the main challenges in providing prehospital care to older trauma patients to improve the care for this vulnerable group. Methods and findings A scoping review was performed searching Google Scholar, PubMed and Medline from 2000 until 2020 for literature in English addressing the management of older trauma patients in both the prehospital arena and Emergency Department. A thematic analysis and narrative synthesis was conducted on the included 131 studies. Age-threshold was confirmed by a descriptive analysis from all included studies. The majority of the studies assessed triage and found that recognition and undertriage presented a significant challenge, with adverse effects on mortality. We identified six key challenges in the prehospital field that were summarised in this review. Conclusions Trauma in older people is common and challenges prehospital care providers in numerous ways that are difficult to address. Undertriage and the potential for age bias remain prevalent. In this Scoping Review, we identified and discussed six major challenges that are unique to the prehospital environment. More high-quality evidence is needed to investigate this issue further. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-21T19:45:15Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-972ac4812b124f8e857f71338b367247 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1757-7241 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-21T19:45:15Z |
| publishDate | 2021-07-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scandinavian Journal of Trauma, Resuscitation and Emergency Medicine |
| spelling | doaj.art-972ac4812b124f8e857f71338b3672472022-12-21T18:52:21ZengBMCScandinavian Journal of Trauma, Resuscitation and Emergency Medicine1757-72412021-07-0129111210.1186/s13049-021-00922-1Challenges in the PREHOSPITAL emergency management of geriatric trauma patients – a scoping reviewMichael Eichinger0Henry Douglas Pow Robb1Cosmo Scurr2Harriet Tucker3Stefan Heschl4George Peck5Major Trauma and Cutrale Perioperative and Ageing Group, Imperial College Healthcare NHS TrustAcademic Clinical Fellow in General Surgery, Imperial College Healthcare NHS TrustDepartment of Anaesthesia, Imperial College Healthcare NHS TrustEmergency Department St George’s HospitalDepartment of Cardiac, Thoracic and Vascular Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care, Medical University HospitalCutrale Peri-operative and Ageing Group, Imperial College LondonAbstract Background Despite a widely acknowledged increase in older people presenting with traumatic injury in western populations there remains a lack of research into the optimal prehospital management of this vulnerable patient group. Research into this cohort faces many uniqu1e challenges, such as inconsistent definitions, variable physiology, non-linear presentation and multi-morbidity. This scoping review sought to summarise the main challenges in providing prehospital care to older trauma patients to improve the care for this vulnerable group. Methods and findings A scoping review was performed searching Google Scholar, PubMed and Medline from 2000 until 2020 for literature in English addressing the management of older trauma patients in both the prehospital arena and Emergency Department. A thematic analysis and narrative synthesis was conducted on the included 131 studies. Age-threshold was confirmed by a descriptive analysis from all included studies. The majority of the studies assessed triage and found that recognition and undertriage presented a significant challenge, with adverse effects on mortality. We identified six key challenges in the prehospital field that were summarised in this review. Conclusions Trauma in older people is common and challenges prehospital care providers in numerous ways that are difficult to address. Undertriage and the potential for age bias remain prevalent. In this Scoping Review, we identified and discussed six major challenges that are unique to the prehospital environment. More high-quality evidence is needed to investigate this issue further.https://doi.org/10.1186/s13049-021-00922-1Prehospital careTriageGeriatric traumaTraumatic injuriesTrauma |
| spellingShingle | Michael Eichinger Henry Douglas Pow Robb Cosmo Scurr Harriet Tucker Stefan Heschl George Peck Challenges in the PREHOSPITAL emergency management of geriatric trauma patients – a scoping review Scandinavian Journal of Trauma, Resuscitation and Emergency Medicine Prehospital care Triage Geriatric trauma Traumatic injuries Trauma |
| title | Challenges in the PREHOSPITAL emergency management of geriatric trauma patients – a scoping review |
| title_full | Challenges in the PREHOSPITAL emergency management of geriatric trauma patients – a scoping review |
| title_fullStr | Challenges in the PREHOSPITAL emergency management of geriatric trauma patients – a scoping review |
| title_full_unstemmed | Challenges in the PREHOSPITAL emergency management of geriatric trauma patients – a scoping review |
| title_short | Challenges in the PREHOSPITAL emergency management of geriatric trauma patients – a scoping review |
| title_sort | challenges in the prehospital emergency management of geriatric trauma patients a scoping review |
| topic | Prehospital care Triage Geriatric trauma Traumatic injuries Trauma |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s13049-021-00922-1 |
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