This Article Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: 1460408609335937v1 11/3/157    most recent References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Sarkar, S. N Social Bookmarking                         What's this?

Major trauma in the elderly

Department of Anaesthesia, Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, UK, som.sarkar{at}nhs.net

With people living longer and able to undertake more activities, any professional involved in trauma care will inevitably be exposed to older victims of trauma. Increasing numbers of older people are admitted to trauma units, presenting the healthcare professional with challenges including altered physiology, polypharmacy and ethical considerations which may lead to diagnostic and treatment dilemmas. Rib fractures for example are associated with significant morbidity and mortality and optimising analgesia may improve outcomes. There are conflicting views over co-morbidities being associated with mortality, but mortality in UK intensive care units appears to be high in elderly trauma victims. The EAST guidelines provide a thorough management strategy of elderly trauma victims. Old age should not be a sole criterion for limiting or withholding care in trauma patients.

Key Words: elderly • trauma • intensive care • rib fractures • mortality • management

This version was published on July 1, 2009

Trauma, Vol. 11, No. 3, 157-161 (2009)
DOI: 10.1177/1460408609335937


CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?