J Korean Soc Emerg Med.  2002 Mar;13(1):49-54.

Clinical Review In Geriatric Trauma Patients

• Ahn HC
• Seo JY
• Chung JB
• Choi YM
• Choi JT
• You KC
• Ahn ME
• Choi GM
• Kim HK
• Kim SW
• Cho JW

Abstract

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to examine various clinical factors for their ablity to predict mortality in geriatric patients following trauma.
METHODS
In this retrospective study, medical records from Chun Cheon Sacred Heart hospital were reviewed for patients 65 years and older who sustained trauma. The following variables were extracted and examined, independently and in combination, for their ablity to predict death: age, gender, mechanism of injury, blood pressure, and respiration, pulse rate, as well as Glasgow Coma Score, Revised Trauma Score, and Injury Severity Score. These patients had entered the hospital following trauma during a 2-year period (1999-2000).
RESULTS
the Injury Severity Score (more than 28), the Glasgow Coma Score (less than 9), and the Revised Trauma Score (less than 8) were variables that correlated with mortality. Mortality rates were higher for men than for women. Admission variables associated with the highest risks of death included hypotension (mean blood pressure < 78 mmHg); pedestrian and motorcycle traffic accident; skull fracture, subdural hemorrhage, and diffuse axonal injury; and hemothorax and lung contusion.
CONCLUSION
Admission variables in geriatric trauma patients can be used to predict the outcome and may also be useful in making decisions about triage, and treatment of the patient.

Keyword

Geriatric trauma; Mortality

MeSH Terms

Accidents, Traffic
Blood Pressure
Coma
Contusions
Diffuse Axonal Injury
Female
Gangwon-do
Heart
Heart Rate
Hematoma, Subdural
Hemothorax
Humans
Hypotension
Injury Severity Score
Lung
Male
Medical Records
Mortality
Motorcycles
Respiration
Retrospective Studies
Skull Fractures
Triage