Impact of a geriatric consultation service on outcomes in older trauma patients: a before-after study

GIFTS: Geriatric Intensive Functional Therapy Sessions-for the older trauma patient

BACKGROUND

Considering resources for comprehensive geriatric care, it would be beneficial for geriatric trauma patients (GTPs) and medical patients to be comanaged in one program focusing on ancillary therapeutics (AT): physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech language pathology, respiratory therapy, and sleep wake hygiene. This pilot study describes outcomes of GTPs in a hospital-wide program focused on geriatric-specific AT.

METHODS

Geriatric trauma patients and geriatric patients were screened by program coordinator for enrollment at one Level II trauma center from August 2021 to December 2022. Enrolled patients (EPs) were admitted to trauma or medicine floors and received repetitive AT with attention to sleep wake hygiene throughout hospitalization and compared with similar nonenrolled patients (NEPs). Excluded patients had any of the following: indication of geriatric syndrome with a fatigue, resistance, ambulation, illness, and loss of weight (FRAIL) score of 5, no frailty with a FRAIL score of 0, comfort focused plans, or arrived from skilled care. Retrospective chart review of demographics and outcomes was completed for both EPs and NEPs.

RESULTS

A total of 224 EPs (28 trauma [TR]) were compared with 574 NEPs (148 TR). Enrolled patients showed shorter length of stay (mean, 3.8 vs. 6.1; p = 0.0001), less delirium (3.1% vs. 9.6%, p = 0.00222), less time to ambulation (13 hours vs. 39 hours, p = 0.0005), and higher likelihood to discharge home (56% vs. 27%, p < 0.0001) as compared with NEPs. The median FRAIL score was 3 for both groups. Enrolled medical patients ambulated the soonest at 11 average hours, compared with 23 hours for enrolled trauma patients and 39 hours for NEPs. There were zero delirium events among enrolled trauma patients; 25% was found among nonenrolled trauma patients ( p = 0.00288).

CONCLUSION

Despite a small trauma cohort, results support feasibility to include GTPs in hospital-wide programs with geriatric-specific AT. Mobility and cognitive strategies may improve opportunities to avoid delirium, decrease length of stay, and influence more frequent disposition to home.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Therapeutic/Care Management; Level III.

Trauma in the elderly: a bilateral rectus sheath haematoma

Life expectancy has more than doubled in the last century, and a new cohort of elderly and increasingly frail patients is presenting to emergency departments with new clinical challenges. When this patient cohort presents after injury, all aspects of clinical practice have to be recalibrated to provide safe and appropriate care. The prevalence of chronic disease, levels of organ failure, multiple comorbidities, greater use of anticoagulation and incidence of recurrent low- and high-impact trauma may delay and obscure diagnosis and, ultimately, increase mortality.Older age is a risk factor for rectus sheath haematoma (RSH), which is haemorrhage into the potential space surrounding the rectus abdominis muscle/s. It is a rare presentation following trauma but can provide diagnostic challenges and be fatal. Even more rare is bilateral RSH with only 12 reported in the literature since 1981.This case report describes bilateral RSH presenting in an elderly woman following a fall and the consequences of seemingly minor trauma in the elderly.

Follow-up analysis of quality of life in elderly patients with bone trauma: a longitudinal observational study

BACKGROUND

The quality of life (QoL) of elderly patients with bone trauma is significantly decreased and is affected by many complex factors. This study aims to conduct a half-year follow-up survey to clarify QoL and its influencing factors in elderly patients with bone trauma in order to provide targeted care measures for elderly patients with bone trauma.

METHODS

This was a longitudinal observational study. We used the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) to investigate and evaluate the QoL of 100 patients with bone trauma at the time of hospital discharge and 1 month, 3 months, and 6 months after discharge. Our previous study confirmed that the SF-36 had higher reliability and validity for evaluating the QoL of elderly patients with bone trauma. At the same time, we also investigated the age, gender, location of bone trauma, and destination after discharge of those patients. Those factors that might affect the QoL of elderly patients with bone trauma were identified by univariate and multivariate analyses.

RESULTS

The total physiological function, role-physical, bodily pain, vitality, social functioning, role-emotional, and mental health scores of elderly patients with bone trauma gradually increased from the time of discharge to 1 month, 3 months, and 6 months after discharge, and there were significant differences (p < 0.001). However, there was no significant difference in the general health score in the different periods (P = 0.095). The total QoL scores also significantly differed (F = 118.61, P < 0.001) at the time of discharge (335.252 ± 127.572) and 1 month (285.149 ± 112.827), 3 months (479.344 ± 153.663), and 6 months after discharge (544.396 ± 166.536). The univariate analysis results showed that the location of bone trauma (P < 0.005) and the destination after discharge (P < 0.001) were the main factors affecting QoL in different periods. The results of the multivariate analysis showed that the location of bone trauma was an important factor affecting QoL (P < 0.005 in different periods). Whether to undergo surgery was a factor affecting the patients' long-term QoL (P < 0.005 at 6 months after discharge).

CONCLUSIONS

Although the QoL of elderly patients with bone trauma gradually improves after injury, their recovery time is long, and the influencing factors are complex. Follow-up services should continue for at least six months for these patients, and comprehensive treatment and long-term rehabilitation services should be provided.

Provision of acute care pathways for older major trauma patients in the UK

BACKGROUND

The introduction of specific pathways of care for older trauma patients has been shown to decrease hospital length of stay and the overall rate of complications. The extent and scope of pathways and services for older major trauma patients in the UK is not currently known.

OBJECTIVE

The primary objective of this study was to map the current care pathways and provision of services for older people following major trauma in the UK.

METHODS

A cross-sectional survey of UK hospitals delivering care to major trauma patients (major trauma centres and trauma units). Data were collected on respondent and site characteristics, and local definitions of older trauma patients. To explore pathways for older people with major trauma, four clinical case examples were devised and respondents asked to complete responses that best illustrated the admission pathway for each.

RESULTS

Responses from 56 hospitals were included in the analysis, including from 25 (84%) of all major trauma centres (MTCs) in the UK. The majority of respondents defined 'old' by chronological age, most commonly patients 65 years and over. The specialty team with overall responsibility for the patient in trauma units was most likely to be acute medicine or acute surgery. Patients in MTCs were not always admitted under the care of the major trauma service. Assessment by a geriatrician within 72 hours of admission varied in both major trauma centres and trauma units and was associated with increased age.

CONCLUSIONS

This survey highlights variability in the admitting specialty team and subsequent management of older major trauma patients across hospitals in the UK. Variability appears to be related to patient condition as well as provision of local resources. Whilst lack of standardisation may be a result of local service configuration this has the potential to impact negatively on quality of care, multi-disciplinary working, and outcomes.

Applying Evidence-based Principles to Guide Emergency Surgery in Older Adults

Although outcomes for older adults undergoing elective surgery are generally comparable to younger patients, outcomes associated with emergency surgery are poor. These adverse outcomes are in part because of the physiologic changes associated with aging, increased odds of comorbidities in older adults, and a lower probability of presenting with classic "red flag" physical examination findings. Existing evidence-based perioperative best practice guidelines perform better for elective compared with emergency surgery; so, decision making for older adults undergoing emergency surgery can be challenging for surgeons and other clinicians and may rely on subjective experience. To aid surgical decision making, clinicians should assess premorbid functional status, evaluate for the presence of geriatric syndromes, and consider social determinants of health. Documentation of care preferences and a surrogate decision maker are critical. In discussing the risks and benefits of surgery, patient-centered narrative formats with inclusion of geriatric-specific outcomes are important. Use of risk calculators can be meaningful, although limitations exist. After surgery, daily evaluation for common postoperative complications should be considered, as well as early discharge planning and palliative care consultation, if appropriate. The role of the geriatrician in emergency surgery for older adults may vary based on the acuity of patient presentation, but perioperative consultation and comanagement are strongly recommended to optimize care delivery and patient outcomes.