Christopher Spering1, Rolf Lefering2, Bertil Bouillon3, Wolfgang Lehmann4, Kajetan von Eckardstein5, Klaus Dresing4, Stephan Sehmisch4. 1. Department of Trauma Surgery, Orthopaedics and Plastic Surgery, University of Göttingen Medical Center, Göttingen, Germany. christopher.spering@med.uni-goettingen.de. 2. Institute for Research in Operative Medicine (IFOM), University of Witten/Herdecke, Cologne, Germany. 3. Department of Trauma Surgery, Orthopeadics and Sports Traumatology, University of Witten/Herdecke, Witten, Germany. 4. Department of Trauma Surgery, Orthopaedics and Plastic Surgery, University of Göttingen Medical Center, Göttingen, Germany. 5. Department of Neurosurgery, University of Göttingen Medical Center, Göttingen, Germany.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: The number of elderly patients among the severely injured has been increasing continuously. It has been suggested that an increased life expectancy and a higher level of activity and mobility in older ages could explain this observation. Elderly trauma patients have relevant higher mortality rates and poorer functional outcomes. The reasons remain unclear. The aim of this study was to look for differences in the management of severely injured elderly patients compared to younger age groups and to evaluate their potential impact on outcome. METHODS: The TraumaRegister DGU® is a multicenter database that documents de-identified data of severely injured patients since 1993. Trauma cases documented between 2009 and 2016 with an ISS ≥ 9 were divided in four age groups. The groups were compared with respect to mechanism of injury, pattern of injury, severity of injury, management and outcome. RESULTS: The analysis of 126,015 severely injured patients showed that 37.5% of the population were elderly patients (≥ 60 years). Their rate actually increased every year by 1.7%. The elderly trauma patients experience different mechanisms of injury (more low energy trauma) and different pattern of injuries (more brain trauma, less abdominal and extremity injuries). Evaluating the management of patients showed that elderly patients have lower intubation rates and less volume replacement in the prehospital setting. Diagnostic interventions like CT scans in the emergency room were performed more restrictively. Elderly trauma patients also received fewer surgical interventions for brain injuries, pelvic fractures and femur fractures. Their hospital mortality rates were higher. CONCLUSIONS: Severely injured elderly patients are treated with a more "wait and see approach" resulting in higher mortality rates. We suggest that this population needs a more "aggressive management" to improve their outcome, if the wish to perform complete treatment including surgical procedures and intensive care medicine has not been excluded by the patients or their legal guardian.
BACKGROUND: The number of elderly patients among the severely injured has been increasing continuously. It has been suggested that an increased life expectancy and a higher level of activity and mobility in older ages could explain this observation. Elderly traumapatients have relevant higher mortality rates and poorer functional outcomes. The reasons remain unclear. The aim of this study was to look for differences in the management of severely injured elderly patients compared to younger age groups and to evaluate their potential impact on outcome. METHODS: The TraumaRegister DGU® is a multicenter database that documents de-identified data of severely injured patients since 1993. Trauma cases documented between 2009 and 2016 with an ISS ≥ 9 were divided in four age groups. The groups were compared with respect to mechanism of injury, pattern of injury, severity of injury, management and outcome. RESULTS: The analysis of 126,015 severely injured patients showed that 37.5% of the population were elderly patients (≥ 60 years). Their rate actually increased every year by 1.7%. The elderly traumapatients experience different mechanisms of injury (more low energy trauma) and different pattern of injuries (more brain trauma, less abdominal and extremity injuries). Evaluating the management of patients showed that elderly patients have lower intubation rates and less volume replacement in the prehospital setting. Diagnostic interventions like CT scans in the emergency room were performed more restrictively. Elderly traumapatients also received fewer surgical interventions for brain injuries, pelvic fractures and femur fractures. Their hospital mortality rates were higher. CONCLUSIONS: Severely injured elderly patients are treated with a more "wait and see approach" resulting in higher mortality rates. We suggest that this population needs a more "aggressive management" to improve their outcome, if the wish to perform complete treatment including surgical procedures and intensive care medicine has not been excluded by the patients or their legal guardian.
Entities:
Keywords:
Management of multiple injured elderly; Polytrauma; Severely injured elderly
Authors: Daniel Popp; Borys Frankewycz; Siegmund Lang; Antonio Ernstberger; Volker Alt; Michael Worlicek; Maximilian Kerschbaum Journal: J Clin Med Date: 2021-01-07 Impact factor: 4.241
Authors: Michael Eichinger; Henry Douglas Pow Robb; Cosmo Scurr; Harriet Tucker; Stefan Heschl; George Peck Journal: Scand J Trauma Resusc Emerg Med Date: 2021-07-23 Impact factor: 2.953