Age-Dependent Patient and Trauma Characteristics and Hospital Resource Requirements—Can Improvement Be Made? An Analysis from the German Trauma Registry

Background and objectives: The burden of geriatric trauma patients continues to rise in Western society. Injury patterns and outcomes differ from those seen in younger adults. Getting a better understanding of these differences helps medical staff to provide a better care for the elderly. The aim of this study was to determine epidemiological differences between geriatric trauma patients and their younger counterparts. To do so, we used data of polytraumatized patients from the TraumaRegister DGU®. Materials and Methods: All adult patients that were admitted between 1 January 2013 and 31 December 2017 were included from the TraumaRegister DGU®. Patients aged 55 and above were defined as the elderly patient group. Patients aged 18–54 were included as control group. Patient and trauma characteristics, as well as treatment and outcome were compared between groups. Results: A total of 114,169 severely injured trauma patients were included, of whom 55,404 were considered as elderly patients and 58,765 younger patients were selected for group 2. Older patients were more likely to be admitted to a Level II or III trauma center. Older age was associated with a higher occurrence of low energy trauma and isolated traumatic brain injury. More restricted utilization of CT-imaging at admission was observed in older patients. While the mean Injury Severity Score (ISS) throughout the age groups stayed consistent, mortality rates increased with age: the overall mortality in young trauma patients was 7.0%, and a mortality rate of 40.2% was found in patients >90 years of age. Conclusions: This study shows that geriatric trauma patients are more frequently injured due to low energy trauma, and more often diagnosed with isolated craniocerebral injuries than younger patients. Furthermore, utilization of diagnostic tools as well as outcome differ between both groups. Given the aging society in Western Europe, upcoming studies should focus on the right application of resources and optimizing trauma care for the geriatric trauma patient.

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Suburban geriatric trauma: the experiences of a level I trauma center

American Journal of Critical Care ◽

10.4037/ajcc1995.4.5.379 ◽

1995 ◽

Vol 4 (5) ◽

pp. 379-382 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

F DeKeyser ◽

D Carolan ◽

A Trask

Keyword(s):

Trauma Center ◽

Functional Outcomes ◽

Injury Severity ◽

The Elderly ◽

Mortality Rates ◽

Geriatric Trauma ◽

Trauma Patients ◽

Younger Patients ◽

Severity Scores ◽

Trauma Scores

BACKGROUND: As the mean age of the US population increases, so does the incidence of geriatric trauma. Investigators have shown that the elderly have high morbidity and mortality rates associated with traumatic injuries. OBJECTIVE: To compare the severity of injury, mortality, and functional outcomes of geriatric patients with younger patients admitted to a suburban trauma center. METHOD: A convenience sample of trauma patients who were 65 years old or older was compared with trauma patients who were 35 to 45 and 55 to 64 years old. Demographic data, injury data, Injury Severity Scores, Revised Trauma Scores, length of stay, and functional ability outcomes were abstracted from a trauma registry in aggregate form and then analyzed. RESULTS: The sample consisted of 766 subjects (age 35-45, n = 223; age 55-64, n = 135; age 65 and older, n = 408) with a mean age of 64.6 years. A larger percentage of the elderly were victims of falls; younger trauma patients were more likely to be victims of motor vehicle crashes. Significant differences were found between age groups on Glasgow Coma Scale scores. Revised Trauma Scores, and length of stay. Significant differences were not found on Injury Severity Scores, mortality rates, or functional outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Although anatomic injury severity of elderly patients was similar to that of younger patients, the elderly demonstrated greater physiologic compromise and longer hospital stays. Mortality rates were lower for the elderly group, but this result might be because a larger proportion of elderly patients were hospitalized with minor or moderate injuries.

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ACUTE KIDNEY INJURY IN ELDERLY PATIENTS

Wiadomości Lekarskie ◽

10.36740/wlek201908109 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 72 (8) ◽

pp. 1466-1472

Author(s):

Grażyna Kobus ◽

Jolanta Małyszko ◽

Hanna Bachórzewska-Gajewska

Keyword(s):

Acute Kidney Injury ◽

Renal Failure ◽

Acute Renal Failure ◽

Elderly Patients ◽

Older Patients ◽

Age Groups ◽

Kidney Injury ◽

The Elderly ◽

Younger Patients ◽

Common Cause

Introduction: In the elderly, impairment of kidney function occurs. Renal diseases overlap with anatomic and functional changes related to age-related involutionary processes. Mortality among patients with acute renal injury is approximately 50%, despite advances in treatment and diagnosis of AKI. The aim: To assess the incidence of acute kidney injury in elderly patients and to analyze the causes of acute renal failure depending on age. Materials and methods: A retrospective analysis included medical documentation of patients hospitalized in the Nephrology Clinic during the 6-month period. During this period 452 patients were hospitalized in the clinic. A group of 77 patients with acute renal failure as a reason for hospitalization was included in the study. Results: The prerenal form was the most common cause of AKI in both age groups. In both age groups, the most common cause was dehydration; in the group of patients up to 65 years of age, dehydration was 29.17%; in the group of people over 65 years - 43.39%. Renal replacement therapy in patients with AKI was used in 14.29% of patients. In the group of patients up to 65 years of age hemodialysis was 16.67% and above 65 years of age. -13.21% of patients. The average creatinine level in the group of younger patients at admission was 5.16 ± 3.71 mg / dl, in the group of older patients 3.14 ± 1.63 mg / dl. The size of glomerular filtration GFR in the group of younger patients at admission was 21.14 ± 19.54 ml / min, in the group of older patients 23.34 ± 13.33 ml / min. Conclusions: The main cause of acute kidney injury regardless of the age group was dehydration. Due to the high percentage of AKI in the elderly, this group requires more preventive action, not only in the hospital but also at home.

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Individual Pharmacotherapy Management (IPM) - I: a group-matched retrospective controlled clinical study on prevention of complicating delirium in the elderly trauma patients and identification of associated factors

BMC Geriatrics ◽

10.1186/s12877-021-02630-y ◽

2022 ◽

Vol 22 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Luise Drewas ◽

Hassan Ghadir ◽

Rüdiger Neef ◽

Karl-Stefan Delank ◽

Ursula Wolf

Keyword(s):

Clinical Study ◽

Associated Factors ◽

Intervention Group ◽

The Elderly ◽

Control Group ◽

Trauma Patients ◽

Effective Prevention ◽

Multivariable Regression ◽

Elderly Trauma Patients ◽

Controlled Clinical Study

Abstract Background Delirium is one of the most frequent complications in hospitalized elderly patients with additional costs such as prolongation of hospital stays and institutionalization, with risk of reduced functional recovery, long-term cognitive impairment, and increased morbidity and mortality. We analyzed the effect of individual pharmacotherapy management (IPM) in the University Hospital Halle in geriatric trauma patients on complicating delirium and aimed to identify associated factors. Methods In a retrospective controlled clinical study of 404 hospitalized trauma patients ≥70 years we compared the IPM intervention group (IG) with a control group (CG) before IPM implementation. Delirium was recorded from the hospital discharge letter. The medication review and data records included baseline data, all medications, diagnoses, electrocardiogram (ECG), laboratory and vital parameters during hospitalization. The IPM internist and the senior trauma physician guaranteed personnel and structural continuity in the implementation of the interdisciplinary patient rounds. Results There was a highly matched congruence between CG and IG in terms of age, gender, residency, BMI, most diagnoses, and injury patterns to compare the two groups. The total number of medications per patient was 11.1 ± 4.9 (CG) versus 10.4 ± 3.6 (IG). Our targeted IPM focus on 6 frontline aspects with reduction of antipsychotics, anticholinergic burden, benzodiazepines, serotonergic opioids, elimination of pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic drug interactions and overdosage reduced complicating delirium from 5% to almost zero at 0.5%. The association of IPM with a significant 10-fold reduction, OR = 0.09 [95% CI 0.01–0.7], in univariable regression, maintained of clinical relevance in multivariable regression OR = 0.1 [95% CI 0.01–1.1]. Factors most strongly associated with complicating delirium in univariable regression were cognitive dysfunction, nursing home residency, muscle relaxants, antiparkinsonian agents, xanthines, transient disorientation documented in the fall risk scale, antibiotic-requiring infections, antifungals, antipsychotics, and intensive care stay, the two latter maintaining significance in multivariable regression. Conclusions IPM is associated with a highly effective prevention of complicating delirium in the elderly trauma patients. For patient safety it should be integrated as an essential preventative contribution. The associated factors help identify patients at risk.

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A Geriatrics-Focused Hospitalist Trauma Comanagement Program Improves Survival and Quality Measures for Older Adults: A Propensity Score-Matched Analysis

10.21203/rs.3.rs-256284/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Nasen J. Zhang ◽

Liron Sinvani ◽

Tung Ming Leung ◽

Michael Qiu ◽

Cristy L. Meyer ◽

...

Keyword(s):

High Risk ◽

Propensity Score ◽

Older Adult ◽

Quality Indicators ◽

Intervention Group ◽

Geriatric Trauma ◽

Categorical Variables ◽

Control Group ◽

Trauma Patients ◽

Medical Complexity

Abstract Background: Given the increasing age and medical complexity of trauma patients, medical comanagement has been adopted as a strategy for high-risk patients. This study aimed to determine whether a geriatrics-focused hospitalist trauma comanagement program improves outcomes.Methods: A pre- and post-implementation study compared older adult trauma patients who were comanaged by a hospitalist with those prior to comanagement at a Level 1 trauma center. Criteria for comanagement included: age 65+, multiple comorbidities, and use of high-risk medications. Comanagement focused on geriatric trauma management guidelines. One-to-one propensity score matching (PSM) was performed based on age, gender, Injury Severity Score, Charlson comorbidity index, and initial admission to the intensive care unit (ICU). Outcomes included hospital mortality, length of stay (LOS), and orders for geriatrics-focused quality indicators. Differences were compared with the Wilcoxon Rank Sum test for continuous variables and chi- square or Fisher’s exact test for categorical variables.Results: From 792 control and 365 intervention patients, PSM resulted in 290 matched pairs. Three intervention group patients died compared to 14 in the control group (p=0.0068). Hospital LOS, 30-day readmission, ICU LOS, and ICU upgrades were not significantly different between groups. There was an overall trend toward improved geriatrics-focused quality indicators in the intervention group. Intervention group was less likely to be restrained (p=0.04), received earlier physical therapy (p=0.01), more doses of acetaminophen compared to control patients (p<0.0001), and more subcutaneous enoxaparin rather than heparin (p=0.0027).Discussion: Our main findings highlight the higher medical complexity and increased risks in older adult trauma patients, as well as the mortality reduction and adherence increase to geriatrics-focused quality indicators. Limitations of our study included use of a single center, the possibility of selection bias in analyzing historical data, and a low sample size, all of which may limit generalizability. Conclusions: Our study demonstrates that a geriatrics-focused hospitalist trauma comanagement program improves survival and quality of care.

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Comparison of esophageal motility impairment caused by Chagas' disease in two age groups

Arquivos de Gastroenterologia ◽

10.1590/s0004-28032006000300008 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 43 (3) ◽

pp. 196-200 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Roberto Oliveira Dantas ◽

Lilian Rose Otoboni Aprile

Keyword(s):

Chagas Disease ◽

Esophageal Motility ◽

Older Patients ◽

Aging Process ◽

Age Groups ◽

Upper Esophageal Sphincter ◽

Control Group ◽

Younger Patients ◽

Lower Amplitude ◽

Two Age Groups

BACKGROUND: Chagas' disease and the aging process cause loss of neurons of the esophageal myenteric plexus. AIM: To evaluate the esophageal motility impairment caused by Chagas' disease in two age groups. Our hypothesis was that the aging process may cause further esophageal motility impairment in patients with Chagas' disease. METHODS: We studied the esophageal motility of 30 patients with Chagas' disease and dysphagia, with esophageal retention of barium sulfate and an esophageal diameter within the normal range. Fifteen were 34 to 59 years old (younger group, median 51 years) and 15 were 61 to 77 years old (older group, median 66 years). As a control group we studied 15 subjects aged 33 to 58 years (median 42 years) and 7 subjects aged 61 to 73 years (median 66 years). The esophageal contractions were measured by the manometric method with continuous perfusion after five swallows of a 5 mL bolus of water at 2, 7, 12 and 17 cm below the upper esophageal sphincter. RESULTS: Patients with Chagas' disease had lower amplitude of contractions and fewer peristaltic, more simultaneous, and more non-conducted contractions than controls. Older patients with Chagas' disease had lower amplitude of contractions in the distal esophagus (mean ± SE: 30.8 ± 4.3 mm Hg) than younger patients (51.9 ± 8.6 mm Hg). From 12 to 17 cm, older patients had more non-conducted (41%) and fewer peristaltic (8%) contractions than younger patients (non-conducted: 16%, peristaltic: 21%). CONCLUSION: Older patients with Chagas' disease with clinical and radiological examinations similar to those of younger patients had motility alterations suggesting that the aging process may cause further deterioration of esophageal motility.

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Geriatric Trauma

DeckerMed Surgery ◽

10.2310/surg.2254 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Sigrid Burruss ◽

Lillian Min ◽

Areti Tillou

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Care Coordination ◽

Unintentional Injury ◽

The Elderly ◽

Geriatric Trauma ◽

Trauma Patients ◽

Age Related ◽

Trauma Population ◽

Downward Spiral ◽

Risk Factors For Falls

The geriatric trauma population continues to grow as life expectancy and unintentional injury increase. Age-related physiologic changes and complex comorbidities may not only lead to injury but also may precipitate a downward spiral. The injury patterns, presentation of life-threatening injury, and response to injury are unique in the elderly trauma population, and dedicated evaluation of elderly trauma patients at a trauma center may be beneficial. Aggressive, early intervention with a focus on geriatric-specific needs and care coordination are an integral part of the management to reduce morbidity and mortality. Much of the unintentional injuries may be preventable with identification of risk factors for falls and fall prevention programs. Frailty measurements may be used to predict morbidity and functional status. Surgeons must become familiar with geriatric-specific issues and how best to treat the geriatric trauma population. This review contains 3 figures, 2 tables, and 133 references. Key Words: care coordination, elderly, frailty, geriatric, injury, prevention, risk factors, trauma, triage

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Improvement in geriatric trauma outcomes in an evolving trauma system

Trauma Surgery & Acute Care Open ◽

10.1136/tsaco-2018-000282 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 4 (1) ◽

pp. e000282 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Amund Hovengen Ringen ◽

Iver Anders Gaski ◽

Hege Rustad ◽

Nils Oddvar Skaga ◽

Christine Gaarder ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Trauma System ◽

Trauma Team ◽

The Elderly ◽

Geriatric Trauma ◽

Trauma Patients ◽

Age Group ◽

Trauma Team Activation ◽

Activation Rate ◽

Time Periods ◽

Activation Rates

BackgroundThe elderly trauma patient has increased mortality compared with younger patients. During the last 15 years, initial treatment of severely injured patients at Oslo University Hospital Ulleval (OUHU) has changed resulting in overall improved outcomes. Whether this holds true for the elderly trauma population needs exploration and was the aim of the present study.MethodsWe performed a retrospective study of 2628 trauma patients 61 years or older admitted to OUHU during the 12-year period, 2002–2013. The population was stratified based on age (61–70 years, 71–80 years, 81 years and older) and divided into time periods: 2002–2009 (P1) and 2010–2013 (P2). Multiple logistic regression models were constructed to identify clinically relevant core variables correlated with mortality and trauma team activation rate.ResultsCrude mortality decreased from 19% in P1 to 13% in P2 (p<0.01) with an OR of 0.77 (95 %CI 0.65 to 0.91) when admitted in P2. Trauma team activation rates increased from 53% in P1 to 72% in P2 (p<0.01) with an OR of 2.16 (95% CI 1.93 to 2.41) for being met by a trauma team in P2. Mortality increased from 10% in the age group 61–70 years to 26% in the group above 80 years. Trauma team activation rates decreased from 71% in the age group 61–70 years to 50% in the age group older than 80 years. Median ISS were 17 in all three age groups and in both time periods.DiscussionDevelopment of a multidisciplinary dedicated trauma service is associated with increased trauma team activation rate as well as survival in geriatric trauma patients. As expected, mortality increased with age, although inversely related to the likelihood of being met by a trauma team. Trauma team activation should be considered for all trauma patients older than 70 years.Level of evidenceLevel IV.

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How I treat elderly patients with myeloma

Blood ◽

10.1182/blood-2009-10-163329 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 116 (13) ◽

pp. 2215-2223 ◽

Cited By ~ 25

Author(s):

Jayesh Mehta ◽

Michele Cavo ◽

Seema Singhal

Keyword(s):

Adverse Effects ◽

Older Patients ◽

Supportive Therapy ◽

The Elderly ◽

High Dose Chemotherapy ◽

Cytotoxic Agents ◽

High Dose ◽

Clinical Approach ◽

Younger Patients ◽

Best Response

Abstract The clinical approach to older patients with myeloma has to be modified to take into account comorbidities and the likelihood of higher treatment-related toxicity. Individualization of management and adequate supportive therapy are important to obtain the best response while minimizing adverse effects. Corticosteroids, novel agents, conventional cytotoxic agents, and high-dose chemotherapy with autotransplantation (modalities used in younger patients) are also used in older patients, although the elderly undergo transplantation less frequently. The sequential use of active agents singly and in different combinations has improved response rates and survival of all patients with myeloma, including the elderly.

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Systemic Therapy for Elderly Patients with Gastrointestinal Cancer

Clinical Medicine Insights Oncology ◽

10.4137/cmo.s6983 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 5 ◽

pp. CMO.S6983 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Joleen M. Hubbard ◽

Axel Grothey ◽

Daniel J. Sargent

Keyword(s):

Clinical Trials ◽

Elderly Patients ◽

Systemic Therapy ◽

Survival Benefit ◽

Older Patients ◽

The Elderly ◽

Age Group ◽

Gastrointestinal Cancers ◽

Younger Patients ◽

Multiple Trials

The majority of patients with gastrointestinal cancers are over the age of 65. This age group comprises the minority of the patients enrolled in clinical trials, and it is unknown whether older patients achieve similar results as younger patients in terms of survival benefit and tolerability. In addition, there are few studies specifically designed for patients over 65 years. Subset analyses of individual trials and studies using pooled patient data from multiple trials provide some understanding on outcomes in older patients with gastrointestinal cancers. This article reviews the evidence on chemotherapeutic regimens in the elderly with colorectal, pancreatic, and gastroesophageal cancers, and discusses a practical approach to provide the best outcomes for older patients.

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Surgery for meningioma in the elderly and long-term survival: comparison with an age- and sex-matched general population and with younger patients

Journal of Neurosurgery ◽

10.3171/2016.2.jns152611 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 126 (4) ◽

pp. 1201-1211 ◽

Cited By ~ 21

Author(s):

Benjamin Brokinkel ◽

Markus Holling ◽

Dorothee Cäcilia Spille ◽

Katharina Heß ◽

Cristina Sauerland ◽

...

Keyword(s):

General Population ◽

Elderly Patients ◽

Older Patients ◽

The Elderly ◽

Spinal Tumors ◽

Subtotal Resection ◽

High Grade ◽

Younger Patients ◽

Age And Sex

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to compare long-term prognosis after meningioma surgery in elderly and younger patients as well as to compare survival of elderly patients with surgically treated meningioma to survival rates for the general population. METHODS Five hundred meningioma patients (median follow-up 90 months) who underwent surgery between 1994 and 2009 were subdivided into “elderly” (age ≥ 65 years, n = 162) and “younger” (age < 65 years, n = 338) groups for uni- and multivariate analyses. Mortality was compared with rates for the age- and sex-matched general population. RESULTS The median age at diagnosis was 71 in the elderly group and 51 years in the younger group. Sex, intracranial tumor location, grade of resection, radiotherapy, and histopathological subtypes were similar in the 2 groups. High-grade (WHO Grades II and III) and spinal tumors were more common in older patients than in younger patients (15% vs 8%, p = 0.017, and 12% vs 4%, p = 0.001, respectively). The progression-free interval (PFI) was similar in the 2 groups, whereas mortality at 3 months after surgery was higher and median overall survival (OS) was shorter in older patients (7%, 191 months) than in younger patients (1%, median not reached; HR 4.9, 95% CI 2.75–8.74; p < 0.001). Otherwise, the median OS in elderly patients did not differ from the anticipated general life expectancy (HR 1.03, 95% CI 0.70–1.50; p = 0.886). Within the older patient group, PFI was lower in patients with high-grade meningiomas (HR 24.74, 95% CI 4.23–144.66; p < 0.001) and after subtotal resection (HR 10.57, 95% CI 2.23–50.05; p = 0.003). Although extent of resection was independent of perioperative mortality, the median OS was longer after gross-total resection than after subtotal resection (HR 2.7, 95% CI 1.09–6.69; p = 0.032). CONCLUSIONS Elderly patients with surgically treated meningioma do not suffer from impaired survival compared with the age-matched general population, and their PFI is similar to that of younger meningioma patients. These data help mitigate fears concerning surgical treatment of elderly patients in an aging society.

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