Retrospective review of age versus orthopaedic trauma outcome [abstract]

Abstract

Trauma has long been a disease of the young. Younger Americans are the most likely to suffer a serious injury or death due to trauma. Penetrating trauma is the leading cause of death in the population aged 15-24 years. However, there is a significant subset of the population that often goes overlooked. According to the National Trauma Database in the United States, elderly trauma patients over the age of 65 account for 25% of all trauma. Previous studies have found that falls predominate the mechanism of injury for patients aged over 65 years, while motor vehicle accidents and penetrating injuries are the most common mechanism of the younger population. Although mortality does not differ between age groups, time to death, if applicable, is often longer in the elderly. This study has characterized the unique population of orthopaedic trauma in mid-Missouri with regards to age. By determining what co- morbidities, types of injuries, complications, and outcomes that are associated with this population, a better understanding of the treatment and management of the elderly trauma patient may be achievable. Through the creation of a large database of trauma data, various analyses can be performed. This study found that there was a direct correlation between age and length of stay, percent of stay in intensive care, and number of co-morbidities. By way of such analyses we have been able to obtain an accurate cross section of trauma patients in mid-Missouri.