Care for the Elderly Trauma Patient

Download or read book Care for the Elderly Trauma Patient written by Max Auerbach and published by . This book was released on 2014 with total page 54 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Problem: The geriatric population is quickly on the rise. Healthcare is improving and elderly people are more active than ever before. These two factors combine to create a rise in the number of geriatric patients seen in trauma centers. This study will evaluate the need for geriatric-specific trauma centers guided by geriatric protocols. Methods: A medical literature review was performed using Medline, searching for articles published between 2000 and 2013. The search criterion for this research project was entered as "geriatric trauma consultation" and "interdisciplinary elderly trauma patients". The study was limited to articles dealing with elderly populations in developed countries. Literature reviews, editorials, as well as other non-research articles were not included. References from selected articles were also reviewed for additional information on the subject matter. Results: Using the specifications above, a total of 182 articles were identified. Eleven articles of various designs were then selected and used: 7 retrospective, 2 prospective cohort, 2 clinically controlled trial (1 randomized). The 9 articles were selected based on their relevance to the subject matter, strength and design of this study. Conclusion: Geriatric trauma patients treated in specialized geriatric trauma centers with early geriatric team involvement can greatly improve the long term outcomes and length of stay as well as reduce complications in this group of patients. More research needs to be done to better identify at which age trauma patients would begin to benefit from specialized geriatric trauma protocols.