Geriatric polytrauma patients should not be excluded from aggressive injury treatment based on age alone.

ABSTRACT:

Purpose

Age in severely injured patients has been increasing for decades. Older age is associated with increasing mortality. However, morbidity and mortality could possibly be reduced when accurate and aggressive treatment is provided. This study investigated age-related morbidity and mortality in polytrauma including age-related decisions in initial injury management and withdrawal of life-sustaining therapy (WLST).

Methods

A 6.5-year prospective cohort study included consecutive severely injured trauma patients admitted to a Level-1 Trauma Center ICU. Demographics, data on physiology, resuscitation, MODS/ARDS, and infectious complications were prospectively collected. Patients were divided into age subgroups (< 25, 25-49, 50-69, and ≥ 70 years) to make clinically relevant

SUBMITTER: van Wessem KJP 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7736672 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature