Mortality in severely injured elderly trauma patients--when does age become a risk factor?

Development and validation of a machine learning-based model to assess probability of systemic inflammatory response syndrome in patients with severe multiple traumas

BACKGROUND

Systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) is a predictor of serious infectious complications, organ failure, and death in patients with severe polytrauma and is one of the reasons for delaying early total surgical treatment. To determine the risk of SIRS within 24 h after hospitalization, we developed six machine learning models.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Using retrospective data about the patient, the nature of the injury, the results of general and standard biochemical blood tests, and coagulation tests, six models were developed: decision tree, random forest, logistic regression, support vector and gradient boosting classifiers, logistic regressor, and neural network. The effectiveness of the models was assessed through internal and external validation.

RESULTS

Among the 439 selected patients with severe polytrauma in 230 (52.4%), SIRS was diagnosed within the first 24 h of hospitalization. The SIRS group was more strongly associated with class II bleeding (39.5% vs. 60.5%; OR 1.81 [95% CI: 1.23-2.65]; P = 0.0023), long-term vasopressor use (68.4% vs. 31.6%; OR 5.51 [95% CI: 2.37-5.23]; P < 0.0001), risk of acute coagulopathy (67.8% vs. 32.2%; OR 2.4 [95% CI: 1.55-3.77]; P < 0.0001), and greater risk of pneumonia (59.5% vs. 40.5%; OR 1.74 [95% CI: 1.19-2.54]; P = 0.0042), longer ICU length of stay (5 ± 6.3 vs. 2.7 ± 4.3 days; P < 0.0001) and mortality rate (64.5% vs. 35.5%; OR 10.87 [95% CI: 6.3-19.89]; P = 0.0391). Of all the models, the random forest classifier showed the best predictive ability in the internal (AUROC 0.89; 95% CI: 0.83-0.96) and external validation (AUROC 0.83; 95% CI: 0.75-0.91) datasets.

CONCLUSIONS

The developed model made it possible to accurately predict the risk of developing SIRS in the early period after injury, allowing clinical specialists to predict patient management tactics and calculate medication and staffing needs for the patient.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Level 3.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

The study was retrospectively registered in the ClinicalTrials.gov database of the National Library of Medicine (NCT06323096).

Severe trauma leads to sustained muscle loss, induced frailty, and distinct temporal changes in myokine and chemokine profiles of older patients

INTRODUCTION

Sarcopenia is a known risk factor for adverse outcomes across multiple disease states, including severe trauma. Factors such as age, hyperinflammation, prolonged immobilization, and critical illness may not only exacerbate progression of this disease but may also contribute to the development of induced sarcopenia, or sarcopenia secondary to hospitalization. This study seeks to (1) determine the effects of severe traumatic injury on changes in skeletal muscle mass in older adults; (2) test whether changes in skeletal muscle mass are associated with clinical frailty, physical performance, and health-related quality of life; and (3) examine trauma-induced frailty and temporal changes in myokine and chemokine profiles.

METHODS

A prospective, longitudinal cohort study of 47 critically ill, older (≥45 years) adults presenting after severe blunt trauma was conducted. Repeated measures of computed tomography-based skeletal muscle index, frailty, and quality of life were obtained in addition to selected plasma biomarkers over 6 months.

RESULTS

Severe trauma was associated with significant losses in skeletal muscle mass and increased incidence of sarcopenia from 36% at baseline to 60% at 6 months. Severe trauma also was associated with a transient worsening of induced frailty and reduced quality of life irrespective of sarcopenia status, which returned to baseline by 6 months after injury. Admission biomarker levels were not associated with skeletal muscle index at the time points studied but demonstrated distinct temporal changes across our entire cohort.

CONCLUSIONS

Severe blunt trauma in older adults is associated with increased incidence of induced sarcopenia and reversible induced frailty. Despite muscle wasting, functional decline is transient, with a return to baseline by 6 months, suggesting a need for holistic definitions of sarcopenia and further investigation into long-term functional outcomes in this population.

World trends in publication for maxillofacial and dental trauma in the elderly

Aging may increase the risk of maxillofacial and dentoalveolar trauma (MDT). This review assessed global trends in scientific publications on MDT in the elderly. Six databases were searched. Studies about MDT in the elderly (≥60 years old) were included in two text mining stages (S1 and S2). In S1, all studies with elderly subjects were included, while in S2 only studies in which the elderly were assessed in a separate set of data or in a subanalysis by age groups were included. In S1, relevant data were mined using VantagePoint™ software. In S2, data were descriptively analyzed. There were 2265 studies at S1 and 110 at S2. The publication dates spanned from 1963 to 2023. In S1, the most cited keywords and terms were aged (n = 1872), male (n = 1839), female (n = 1777), "mandible fracture" (n = 460), "orbit fracture" (n = 362), and "maxilla fracture" (n = 118). Thirty authors published 10 or more articles with visible collaboration networks. There was a progressive increase in publications, especially in Europe (n = 150). In S2, most studies were case reports/case series (n = 62). The primary etiology was accidental falls (n = 84), the most affected region was the middle third of the face (n = 65), and dental trauma was rarely reported (n = 15). Cone Beam computed tomography was the most used diagnostic tool (n = 67). Of the 81 articles that addressed therapy, 52 opted for surgical treatment. Although there has been an increase in the number of articles on MDT over the years, studies with the elderly population as a specific study group are still needed. Accidental falls were the most reported etiology, while the middle third of the face and the mandible were the anatomic region and bone most affected, respectively. The high number of case reports indicates the need for improvement in the available scientific evidence about MDT in the elderly.

The 2023 WSES guidelines on the management of trauma in elderly and frail patients

BACKGROUND

The trauma mortality rate is higher in the elderly compared with younger patients. Ageing is associated with physiological changes in multiple systems and correlated with frailty. Frailty is a risk factor for mortality in elderly trauma patients. We aim to provide evidence-based guidelines for the management of geriatric trauma patients to improve it and reduce futile procedures.

METHODS

Six working groups of expert acute care and trauma surgeons reviewed extensively the literature according to the topic and the PICO question assigned. Statements and recommendations were assessed according to the GRADE methodology and approved by a consensus of experts in the field at the 10th international congress of the WSES in 2023.

RESULTS

The management of elderly trauma patients requires knowledge of ageing physiology, a focused triage, including drug history, frailty assessment, nutritional status, and early activation of trauma protocol to improve outcomes. Acute trauma pain in the elderly has to be managed in a multimodal analgesic approach, to avoid side effects of opioid use. Antibiotic prophylaxis is recommended in penetrating (abdominal, thoracic) trauma, in severely burned and in open fractures elderly patients to decrease septic complications. Antibiotics are not recommended in blunt trauma in the absence of signs of sepsis and septic shock. Venous thromboembolism prophylaxis with LMWH or UFH should be administrated as soon as possible in high and moderate-risk elderly trauma patients according to the renal function, weight of the patient and bleeding risk. A palliative care team should be involved as soon as possible to discuss the end of life in a multidisciplinary approach considering the patient's directives, family feelings and representatives' desires, and all decisions should be shared.

CONCLUSIONS

The management of elderly trauma patients requires knowledge of ageing physiology, a focused triage based on assessing frailty and early activation of trauma protocol to improve outcomes. Geriatric Intensive Care Units are needed to care for elderly and frail trauma patients in a multidisciplinary approach to decrease mortality and improve outcomes.

Pediatric Patients as a Source of Bias in Joseph Lister's Study of Antisepsis

Joseph Lister's (1827-1912) use of carbolic acid to prevent wound infection in open fractures of the extremities (1865) provided a basic science rationale for the practice of surgery. His series of 11 patients included 4 children, aged 7 to 13. Children, today known to better survive a given injury when compared with adults, may have biased his results in favor of survival, and led him to conclude that his method of carbolic-soaked dressing changes prevented fatal wound sepsis. His success with antisepsis may have been less a testament to his application of germ theory to surgery than to the physiological resilience of his young patients.

Performance of trauma scoring systems in predicting mortality in geriatric trauma patients: comparison of the ISS, TRISS, and GTOS based on a systemic review and meta-analysis

PURPOSE

This meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the performance of the Injury Severity Score (ISS), Trauma and Injury Severity Score (TRISS), and the Geriatric Trauma Outcome Score (GTOS) in predicting mortality in geriatric trauma patients.

METHODS

The MEDLINE, Web of Science, and EMBASE databases were searched for studies published from January 2008 to October 2023. Studies assessing the performance of the ISS, TRISS, or GTOS in predicting mortality in geriatric trauma patients (over 60 years old) and reporting data for the analysis of the pooled area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) and the hierarchical summary receiver operating characteristic curve (HSROC) were included. Studies that were not conducted in a group of geriatric patients, did not consider mortality as the outcome variable, or had incomplete data were excluded. The Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) Clinical Prediction Rule Checklist was utilized to assess the risk of bias in included studies. STATA 16.0. was used for the AUROC analysis and HSROC analysis.

RESULTS

Nineteen studies involving 118,761 geriatric trauma patients were included. The pooled AUROC of the TRISS (AUC = 0.82, 95% CI: 0.77-0.87) was higher than ISS (AUC = 0.74, 95% CI: 0.71-0.79) and GTOS (AUC = 0.80, 95%CI: 0.77-0.83). The diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) calculated from HSROC curves also suggested that the TRISS (DOR = 21.5) had a better performance in predicting mortality in geriatric trauma patients than the ISS (DOR = 6.27) and GTOS (DOR = 4.76).

CONCLUSION

This meta-analysis suggested that the TRISS showed better accuracy and performance in predicting mortality in geriatric trauma patients than the ISS and GTOS.

The outcomes of the most severe polytrauma patients: a systematic review of the use of high ISS cutoffs for performance measurement

BACKGROUND

This systematic review aimed to describe the outcomes of the most severely injured polytrauma patients and identify the consistent Injury Severity Score based definition of utilised for their definition. This could provide a global standard for trauma system benchmarking.

METHODS

The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) checklist was applied to this review. We searched Medline, Embase, Cochrane Reviews, CINAHL, CENTRAL from inception until July 2022. Case reports were excluded. Studies in all languages that reported the outcomes of adult and paediatric patients with an ISS 40 and above were included. Abstracts were screened by two authors and ties adjudicated by the senior author.

RESULTS

7500 abstracts were screened after excluding 13 duplicates. 56 Full texts were reviewed and 37 were excluded. Reported ISS groups varied widely between the years 1986 and 2022. ISS groups reported ranged from 40-75 up to 51-75. Mortality varied between 27 and 100%. The numbers of patients in the highest ISS group ranged between 15 and 1451.

CONCLUSIONS

There are very few critically injured patients reported during the last 48 years. The most critically injured polytrauma patients still have at least a 50% risk of death. There is no consistent inclusion and exclusion criteria for this high-risk cohort. The current approach to reporting is not suitable for monitoring the epidemiology and outcomes of the critically injured polytrauma patients.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Level 4-systematic review of level 4 studies.

Rotational thromboelastometry values across age groups in all trauma patients presenting to a level 1 trauma centre: An observational study

OBJECTIVES

To describe rotational thromboelastometry (ROTEM) values (FIBTEM A5, EXTEM A5 and EXTEM CT) across age groups and assess for a statistical trend; and to determine whether any trend in ROTEM values is affected by severity of injury and packed red blood cells (PRBC) requirement.

METHODS

Retrospective observational study at a level 1 trauma centre in Queensland, Australia. A total of 1601 consecutive trauma patients presenting to the ED. ROTEM data described included FIBTEM A5, EXTEM A5 and EXTEM CT. These values are described by age group (≤30 years, 31-45 years, 46-60 years, 61-75 years and >75 years), Injury Severity Score (ISS) category (<12, ≥12, <25 and ≥25) and number of PRBCs transfused in the first 24 h of admission (0 units, 1-4 units, 5-9 units and ≥10 units).

RESULTS

The median age of participants was 37 years (interquartile range [IQR] 25-54 years), with 48.2% of patients had severe trauma (ISS >12) and 13.2% receiving at least one unit of PRBC in the first 24 h of admission. Median (IQR) values for FIBTEM A5, EXTEM A5 and EXTEM CT were 13 mm (10-16 mm), 45 mm (40-49 mm) and 62 s (56-71 s), respectively. A test for trend over progressive age groups showed an increase in FIBTEM A5 (P < 0.001) and EXTEM A5 values (P < 0.001) and a decrease in EXTEM CT values (P < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

The present study demonstrated a pattern of increasing coagulability, as defined by ROTEM, with increasing age group in trauma patients, even among the severely injured. Further investigation is required to determine the clinical impact of these findings on both the ROTEM-guided management and longitudinal outcomes of these patients and whether an age-specific approach is beneficial.

Epidemiology of adult injuries: A multi-center study in greater Beirut

INTRODUCTION

Injury accounts for nearly 4 million deaths and 63 million disabilities annually. The injury burden is disproportionally large in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), including Lebanon. This study aims to examine the characteristics and patterns of adult injuries presenting at multiple emergency departments (ED) in Lebanon and further identifies factors associated with hospital admission.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted on adult patients (aged≥16) who presented with an injury to one of the five participating EDs from June 2017 to May 2018. Pan-Asia Trauma Outcomes Study (PATOS) variables were adopted for data collection. A descriptive analysis was performed, followed by bivariate and multivariate logistic regression to identify injury risk factors for hospital admission.

RESULTS

A total of 3,716 patients' records were included. Most injuries were sustained by males (62.7%), patients aged between 16 and 35 years (16-25: 28%; 26-35: 22.7%), and above 65 years (15.6%). Most injuries were unintentional (94.9%). Falls were highly prevalent across all age groups (38.8%), more proclaimed among the older adults' population (56-65:52.8%; ≥66:73.7%), followed by struck-by object (23.6%) and transport injuries (10.1%). Upper and lower extremity injuries were common across all ages. Most patients (80.9%) were treated and discharged at the ED, 11.4% were admitted to the hospital, 4.3% were transferred to other trauma care facilities, and 2 patients died in the ED. Factors positively associated with hospital admission included: older age (≥ 56 years); private insurance; spine and lower extremity injuries; fractures, cuts/open wounds, concussion, and organ injuries (p-value≤0.05; OR>1).

CONCLUSION

Injury is a neglected public health problem in many LMICs, including Lebanon. While youth and the elderly are most affected, injuries occur across all age groups. This study lays the foundation for establishing a population-based injury surveillance system, crucial for designing tailored injury prevention programs to reduce injury-related deaths and disabilities.

Massive blood transfusion following older adult trauma: The effect of blood ratios on mortality

BACKGROUND

Massive blood transfusion (MBT) following older adult trauma poses unique challenges. Despite extensive evidence on optimal resuscitative strategies in the younger adult patients, there is limited research in the older adult population.

METHODS

We used the Trauma Quality Improvement Program (TQIP) database from 2013 to 2017 to identify all patients over 65 years old who received a MBT. We stratified our population into six fresh-frozen plasma:packed red blood cell (FFP:pRBC) ratio cohorts (1:1, 1:2, 1:3, 1:4, 1:5, 1:6+). Our primary outcomes were 24-h and 30-day mortality. We constructed multivariable regression models with 1:1 group as the baseline and adjusted for confounders to estimate the independent effect of blood ratios on mortality.

RESULTS

A total of 3134 patients met our inclusion criteria (median age 73 ± 7.6 years, 65% male). On risk-adjusted multivariable analysis, 1:1 FFP:pRBC ratio was independently associated with lowest 24-h mortality (1:2 odds ratio [OR] 1.60, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.25-2.06, p < 0.001) and 30-day mortality (1:2 OR 1.44, 95% CI 1.15-1.80, p = 0.002).

CONCLUSIONS

Compared to all other ratios, the 1:1 FFP:pRBC ratio had the lowest 24-h and 30-day mortality following older adult trauma consistent with findings in the younger adult population.

Ten‐year trends of adult trauma patients in Central Denmark Region from 2010 to 2019: A retrospective cohort study

Background

Trauma causes significant economic and societal burdens, and the trauma patient population and their prognosis change over time. This study aims to analyze 10‐year trends of trauma patients at a major trauma center in Central Denmark Region.

Methods

Five thousand three hundred and sixty‐six patients aged ≥16 years with Injury Severity Score (ISS) > 0 admitted by trauma team activation at a major trauma center between January 1, 2010, and December 31, 2019, were included. An annual percent change with a 95% confidence interval was used to estimate trends in the mechanism of injuries. Multiple logistic regression with mortality as the outcome was adjusted for age, sex, and ISS. Admission year was used as continuous variable in logistic regressions.

Results

The median age increased from 37 in 2010 to 49 in 2019, and the proportion of patients aged ≥65 doubled. The annual incidence of minor injuries (ISS 1–15) decreased from 181.3/10⁵ inhabitants in 2010 to 112.7/10⁵ in 2019. Severe injuries (ISS > 15) increased from 10.1/10⁵ inhabitants in 2010 to 13.6/10⁵ in 2019. The proportion of patients with ISS > 15 increased from 18.1% in 2010 to 31.1% in 2019. Multivariable logistic regression indicates lower 30‐day mortality for all trauma patients over the study period when adjusting for age, sex, and ISS (odds ratio: 0.94, 95% CI: 0.90–0.99). The 30‐day mortality for severely injured patients with ISS > 15 seems to decrease during the study period when adjusting for age, sex, and ISS (Odds ratio: 0.92, 95% CI: 0.87–0.97). Fall injuries increased by 4.1% annually (95% CI: 2.3%–6.1%).

Conclusions

Ten‐year trends of trauma patients at a major trauma center show an increasing median age, injury severity, and number of fall injuries. The 30‐day mortality of trauma patients decreased slightly for both minor injuries and severe injuries when adjusting for age, sex, and injury severity.

The Association between Comorbidities and Comorbid Injuries on Treatment Outcome in Pediatric and Elderly Patients with Injuries in Korea: An Observational Study

We aimed to compare the characteristics and types of injuries affecting pediatric and elderly patients and to identify factors associated with treatment outcomes. We used data from the 2006−2017 Korea National Hospital Discharge Survey. The patients were divided into two groups, children (0−12 years) and elderly (≥65 years), based on their age at discharge. In total, 47,528 (11,842 children and 35,686 older adults) patients with injuries were identified. The number of deaths and the LOS were 36 (0.3%) and 7.6 days (±10.1), respectively, in the children group, and 861 (2.4%) and 18.5 days (±27.3), respectively, in the elderly group (p < 0.001). In the children group, there were increased odds for surgery among boys, Medicaid and health insurance subscribers, patients with multiple injuries, patients without a subdiagnosis, and an increasing number of hospital beds. In the elderly group, there were increased odds for surgery among women, Medicaid and health insurance subscribers, patients who died, patients with a single injury, patients with a subdiagnosis, and increasing numbers of hospital beds. Treatment outcomes could be improved by providing early diagnosis and prompt treatment in pediatric patients and by taking multilateral approaches for multiple injuries and comorbidities in elderly patients.

Trends in Location of Death Among Older Adult Americans After Falls

Introduction: Fall-related mortality is increasing among older adults, yet trends and changes in the location of fall-attributed deaths are unknown; additionally, potential disparities are understudied. Methods: To assess trends/factors associated with place of death among older adult fall deaths in the US, a cross-sectional analysis of deaths using mortality data from 2003–2017 was performed. Results: Most deaths occurred in hospitals, however, the proportion decreased from 66.4% (n = 9,095) to 50.7% (n = 15,817). The proportion occurring in nursing facilities decreased from 15.9% (n = 2175) to 15.3% (n = 4,778), while deaths at home and in hospice facilities increased. Male, Black, Native American, and married decedents had increased odds of hospital death. Conclusion: As fall deaths increase among older adults, end-of-life needs of this population deserve increased attention. Research should explore needs and preferences of older adults who experience falls and their caregivers to reduce disparities in place of death and to ensure high quality of care is received.

Individual risk factors predictive of major trauma in pre-hospital injured older patients: a systematic review

Background

Older adults with major trauma are frequently under-triaged, increasing the risk of preventable morbidity and mortality. The aim of this systematic review was to identify which individual risk factors and predictors are likely to increase the risk of major trauma in elderly patients presenting to emergency medical services (EMS) following injury, to inform future elderly triage tool development.

Methods

Several electronic databases (including Medline, EMBASE, CINAHL and the Cochrane Library) were searched from inception to February 2021. Prospective or retrospective diagnostic studies were eligible if they examined a prognostic factor (often termed predictor or risk factor) for, or diagnostic test to identify, major trauma. Selection of studies, data extraction and risk of bias assessments using the Quality in Prognostic Studies (QUIPS) tool were undertaken independently by at least two reviewers. Narrative synthesis was used to summarise the findings.

Results

Nine studies, all performed in US trauma networks, met review inclusion criteria. Vital signs (Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score, systolic blood pressure, respiratory rate and shock index with specific elderly cut-off points), EMS provider judgement, comorbidities and certain crash scene variables (other occupants injured, occupant not independently mobile and head-on collision) were identified as significant pre-hospital variables associated with major trauma in the elderly in multi-variable analyses. Heart rate and anticoagulant were not significant predictors. Included studies were at moderate or high risk of bias, with applicability concerns secondary to selected study populations.

Conclusions

Existing pre-hospital major trauma triage tools could be optimised for elderly patients by including elderly-specific physiology thresholds. Future work should focus on more relevant reference standards and further evaluation of novel elderly relevant triage tool variables and thresholds.

Erhöhtes Alter, kardiovaskuläre Nebenerkrankungen, COPD und Diabetes mellitus bedingen eine Übersterblichkeit in der septischen Unfallchirurgie

Hintergrund Die konstante Überalterung der Bevölkerung in Deutschland führt u.a. zu einer Zunahme des durchschnittlichen Alters hospitalisierter Patienten. Hiermit einher gehen eine reduzierte physiologische Reserve und ein reduzierter körpereigener Abwehrmechanismus und folglich eine gesteigerte Infekt- und Komplikationsanfälligkeit. Die Altersentwicklung der septischen Unfallchirurgie ist im Vergleich zur Unfallchirurgie wenig erforscht. Zudem ist der Einfluss des Alters, verschiedener Vorerkrankungen, aber auch der des Alkohol- und Nikotinkonsums auf die Mortalität in der septischen Unfallchirurgie unzureichend untersucht.

Methode 2014/15 (Exam1) wurden 345 Patienten der septischen Unfallchirurgie in die Studie eingeschlossen. 2017/18 (Exam2) erfolgte das 3-Jahres-Follow-up. Die Befragungen (Exam1 und 2) umfassten demografische Parameter, Nebenerkrankungen, die Medikamenteneinnahme, Alkohol- und Nikotinkonsum sowie verschiedene Parameter zur Morbidität. Hieraus wurde das Sterberisiko in der septischen Unfallchirurgie in Abhängigkeit von den verschiedenen Risikofaktoren (Alter, Nebenerkrankungen, Medikamenteneinnahme und Noxen) berechnet. Zudem wurde die Entwicklung des Patientenalters in der Unfallchirurgie sowie speziell in der septischen Unfallchirurgie zwischen 2010 und 2019 ausgewertet.

Ergebnisse 2014/15 (Exam1) wurden 345 Patienten in die Studie eingeschlossen. Hiervon konnten 2017/18 274 (79,4%) telefonisch erreicht werden. 36 (10,4%) lehnten eine Nachbefragung ab. 20 (8,4%) der 238 verbleibenden Probanden waren bereits verstorben, 218 (63,2%) nahmen erneut teil. Zwischen 2010 (n = 492) und 2019 (n = 885) nahm die Patientenzahl der septischen Unfallchirurgie in unserer Abteilung um 79,9% zu, wobei besonders der Anteil der unter 65-Jährigen anstieg. Ab dem 60. Lebensjahr stieg die Sterbewahrscheinlichkeit (60. Lj: 0,0377 vs. 70. Lj: 0,1395) sprunghaft an; wobei in der septischen Unfallchirurgie die eines 60-Jährigen der Sterbewahrscheinlichkeit eines 80-Jährigen der Normalbevölkerung entsprach. Nikotin- (p = 0,93) und Alkoholkonsum (p = 0,344) zeigten keinen signifikanten Einfluss auf die Sterblichkeit, während kardiale Vorerkrankungen (p = 0,01), die COPD (p = 0,01), der Diabetes mellitus (p = 0,05) und die pAVK (p = 0,01) mit einer signifikant erhöhten Sterblichkeit einhergingen.

Schlussfolgerung Das Alter, kardiale Vorerkrankungen, aber auch die COPD, der Diabetes mellitus und die periphere arterielle Verschlusskrankheit gehen mit einer signifikant erhöhten Sterblichkeit in der septischen Unfallchirurgie einher. Eine exponentielle Zunahme des Sterblichkeitsrisikos besteht zwischen dem 50. und 60. Lebensjahr, wobei das Risiko zu versterben eines 60-jährigen Patienten der septischen Unfallchirurgie dem eines 80-jährigen aus der Normalbevölkerung entspricht.

Causes of fatalities in motor vehicle occupants: an overview

Injuries from motor vehicle collisions are frequently encountered in routine forensic practice. While the most common lethal events involve blunt force trauma with injuries to the head and neck, chest, abdomen, pelvis and limbs, review of the literature and case files shows that a wide variety of other fatal situations can occur that may involve sharp force and penetrating trauma, incineration, drowning, asphyxia, organic diseases and combinations of these. The following overview details potential factors that may contribute to death following vehicle crashes.

Failure to Rescue in Geriatric Trauma: The Impact of Any Complication Increases with Age and Injury Severity in Elderly Trauma Patients

INTRODUCTION

The interaction of increasing age, Injury Severity Score (ISS), and complications is not well described in geriatric trauma patients. We hypothesized that failure to rescue rate from any complication worsens with age and injury severity.

METHODS

The National Trauma Data Bank (NTDB) was queried for injured patients aged 65 years or older from January 1, 2013 through December 31, 2016. Demographics and injury characteristics were used to compare groups. Mortality rates were calculated across subgroups of age and ISS, and captured with heatmaps. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to identify independent predictors of mortality.

RESULTS

614,496 geriatric trauma patients were included; 151,880 (24.7%) experienced a complication. Those with complications tended to be older, female, non-white, have non-blunt mechanism, higher ISS, and hypotension on arrival. Overall mortality was highest (19%) in the oldest (≥86 years old) and most severely injured (ISS ≥ 25) patients, with constant age increasing across each ISS group was associated with a 157% increase in overall mortality (P < .001, 95% CI: 148-167%). Holding ISS stable, increasing age group was associated with a 48% increase in overall mortality (P < .001, 95% CI: 44-52%). After controlling for standard demographic variables at presentation, the existence of any complication was an independent predictor of overall mortality in geriatric patients (OR: 2.3; 95% CI: 2.2-2.4).

CONCLUSIONS

Any complication was an independent risk factor for mortality, and scaled with increasing age and ISS in geriatric patients. Differences in failure to rescue between populations may reflect critical differences in physiologic vulnerability that could represent targets for interventions.

Disparity in prehospital scene time for geriatric trauma patients

BACKGROUND

Geriatric patients face disparities in prehospital trauma care. We hypothesized that geriatric trauma patients are more likely to experience prolonged prehospital scene time than younger adults.

METHODS

Retrospective analysis of the 2017 National Emergency Medical Services Information System. Patients who met anatomic or physiologic trauma criteria based on national triage guidelines were included (n = 16,356). Geriatric patients (age≥65, n = 3594) were compared to younger adults (age 18-64). The primary outcome was prolonged scene time (>10 min). Multivariable logistic regression was performed, controlling for patient demographics, on-scene treatments, and injury severity.

RESULTS

Geriatric patients were more likely to experience prolonged scene time than younger adults after controlling for other factors (OR 1.78, 95% CI 1.57-2.04, p < 0.001). The likelihood of prolonged scene time reached OR 2.29 (95% CI 1.85-2.84) for patients age 70-79 and OR 2.66 (95% CI 2.07-3.42) for patients age 80-89, relative to age 18-29.

CONCLUSIONS

Geriatric trauma patients are more likely than younger adults to have prolonged prehospital scene time. This disparity may be caused by delayed recognition of injury severity or age-related cognitive biases.

The elderly age criterion for increased in-hospital mortality in trauma patients: a retrospective cohort study

BACKGROUND

With an aging population, the number of elderly individuals exposed to traumatic injuries is increasing. The elderly age criterion for traumatic injuries has been inconsistent in the literature. This study aimed at specifying the elderly age criterion when the traumatic mortality rate increases.

METHODS

This is a multicenter retrospective cohort study that was conducted utilizing the data from the Emergency Department-based Injury In-depth Surveillance Registry of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, collected between January 2014 and December 2018 from 23 emergency departments. The outcome variable was in-hospital mortality. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to calculate the adjusted mortality rate for each age group. By using the shape-restricted regression splines method, the relationship between age and adjusted traumatic mortality was plotted and the point where the gradient of the graph had the greatest variation was calculated.

RESULTS

A total of 637,491 adult trauma patients were included. The number of in-hospital deaths was 6504 (1.0%). The age at which mortality increased the most was 65.06 years old. The adjusted odds ratio for the in-hospital mortality rate with age in the ≤ 64-year-old subgroup was 1.038 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.032-1.044) and in the ≥ 65-year-old subgroup was 1.059 (95% CI 1.050-1.068). The adjusted odds ratio for in-hospital mortality in the ≥ 65-year-old compared to the ≤ 64-year-old subgroup was 4.585 (95% CI 4.158-5.055, p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

This study found that the in-hospital mortality rate rose with increasing age and that the increase was the most rapid from the age of 65 years. We propose to define the elderly age criterion for traumatic injuries as ≥ 65 years of age.

Major Trauma in Elderly Patients: Worse Mortality and Outcomes in an Italian Trauma Center

Introduction:

Major trauma is the leading cause of mortality in the world in patients younger than 40 years. However, the proportion of elderly people who suffer trauma has increased significantly. The purpose of this study is to assess the correlation of old age with mortality and other unfavorable outcomes.

Methods:

We assessed on one hand, anatomical criteria such as ISS values and the number of body regions affected, on the other hand, hemodynamic instability criteria, various shock indices, and Glasgow Coma Scale. Finally, we also evaluated biochemical parameters, such as lactate, BE, and pH values. We conducted a prospective and monocentric observational study of all the patients referred to the Emergency Department of the IRCCS Fondazione Policlinico S. Matteo in Pavia for major trauma in 13 consecutive months: January 1, 2018–January 30, 2019. We compared the elderly population (>75 years) and the younger population (≤75).

Results:

We included 501 patients, among which 10% were over the age of 75 years. The mortality rate was higher among the older patients than among the younger (4% vs. 1.33%; P = 0.050). Hemodynamic instability was more common in the older patients than in the younger (26% vs. 9%; P < 0.001). More older patients (44%) had an ISS >16, in comparison with 32% of younger patients (P = 0.01).

Conclusions:

The elderly showed worse outcomes in terms of mortality, hospitalization rate, hemodynamic instability criteria, and anatomical and biochemical parameters.

A Population-Based Study of Pre-Existing Health Conditions in Traumatic Brain Injury

Health factors impacting both the occurrence of, and recovery from traumatic brain injury (TBI) vary in complexity, and present genuine challenges to researchers and healthcare professionals seeking to characterize injury consequences and determine prognosis. However, attempts to clarify causal links between injury characteristics and clinical outcomes (including mortality) often compel researchers to exclude pre-existing health conditions (PECs) in their samples, including psychiatric history, medication usage, and other comorbid conditions. In this pre-registered population-based study (total starting n = 939,123 patients), we examined trends in PEC incidence over 22 years in the state of Pennsylvania (1997-2019) in individuals sustaining TBI (n = 169,452) and individuals with orthopedic injury (n = 87,637). The goal was to determine how PECs interact with age and injury severity to influence short-term outcomes. A further goal was to determine whether number of PECs, or specific PEC clusters contributed to worse outcomes within the TBI cohort, compared with orthopedic injury alone. Primary findings indicate that PECs significantly influenced mortality within the TBI cohort; patients having four or more PECs were associated with approximately a two times greater likelihood of dying in acute care (odds ratio [OR] 1.9). Additionally, cluster analyses revealed four distinct PEC clusters that are age and TBI severity dependent. Overall, the likelihood of zero PECs hovers at ∼25%, which is critical to consider in TBI outcomes work and could potentially contribute to the challenges facing intervention science with regard to reproducibility of findings.

Redefining geriatric trauma: 55 is the new 65

INTRODUCTION

As the prevalence of geriatric trauma patients has increased, protocols are being developed to address the unique requirements of this demographic. However, categorical definitions for geriatric patients vary, potentially creating confusion concerning which patients should be cared for according to geriatric-specific standards. The aim of this study was to identify data-driven cut points for mortality based on age to support implementation of age-driven guidelines.

METHODS

Adults aged 18 to 100 years with blunt or penetrating injury were selected from 95 hospitals' trauma registries. Change point analysis techniques were used to detect inflection points in the proportion of deaths at each age. Based on these calculated points, patients were allocated into age groups, and their characteristics and outcomes were compared. Logistic regression was used to estimate risk-adjusted in-hospital mortality controlling for sex, race, Injury Severity Score, Glasgow Coma Scale, and number of comorbidities.

RESULTS

A total of 255,099 patients were identified (female, 45.7%; mean age, 59.3 years; mean Injury Severity Score, 8.69; blunt injury, 92.6%). Statistically significant increases in mortality rate were noted at ages 55, 77, and 82 years. Compared with the referent group (age, <55 years), adjusted odds ratios (AORs) showed increases in mortality if age 55 to 76 years (AOR, 2.42), age 77 to 81 years (AOR, 4.70), or age 82 years or older (AOR, 6.43). National Trauma Data Standard-defined comorbidities significantly increased once age surpassed 55 years, as the rate more than doubled for each of the older age categories (p < 0.001). As age increased, each group was more likely to be female, have dementia, sustain a ground level fall, and be discharged to a skilled nursing facility (p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

This large multicenter analysis established a clinically and statistically significant increase in mortality at ages 55, 77, and 82 years. This research strongly suggests that trauma patients older than 55 years be considered for inclusion in geriatric trauma protocols. The other age inflection points identified (77 and 82 years) may also warrant additional specialized care considerations.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Epidemiological study, level III; Care management, level IV.

Increased morbidity and mortality in elderly patients with lower extremity trauma and associated injuries: A review of 420,066 patients from the national trauma database

INTRODUCTION

There is a paucity of research addressing the morbidity and mortality associated with polytrauma in elderly patients. This study aimed to compare the outcomes of elderly trauma patients with an isolated lower extremity fracture, to patients lower extremity fractures and associated musculoskeletal injuries.

METHODS

This study is a retrospective review from the National Trauma Database (NTDB) between 2008 and 2014. ICD 9 codes were used to identify patients 65 years and older with lower extremity fractures. Patients were categorize patients into three sub groups: patients with isolated lower extremity fractures (ILE), patients with two or more (multiple) lower extremity fractures (MLE) and, patients with at least one upper and at least one lower extremity fracture (ULE). Groups were stratified into patients age 65-80 and patients >80 years of age.

RESULTS

A total 420,066 patients were included in analysis with 356,120 ILE fracture patients, 27,958 MLE fracture patients, and 35,988 ULE fracture patients. The MLE group reported the highest dispatch to ACS level 1 trauma centers at 31.8% followed by the ULE group at 28.5% and the ILE group at 24.7% of patients (p<0.001). The overall rate of complications was highest in the MLE group followed by the ULE and then the ILE group (41.4%, 40.3%, 36.1%, respectively p<0.001). Motility rates in patients >80 years old in the MLE group and ULE group were similar (1.483 vs 1.4432). However, in the 65-80 year group the odds of mortality was 1.260 in the MLE group and 1.450 in the ULE group (p<0.001), such that the odds of mortality after sustaining a MLE fracture increases with age, whereas this effect was not seen in the ULE group.

CONCLUSION

Patients who sustained MLE and ULE fractures, had increased mortality, complications and in hospital care requirements as compared to patients with isolated lower extremity injuries. These outcomes are comparable between ULE and MLE fracture patients over the age of 80 however patients 65-80 with ULE fractures had increased mortality as compared patients 65-80 with MLE fractures. Understanding the unique considerations and requirements of elderly trauma patients is vital to providing successful outcomes.

Optical coherence tomography microscopy in experimental traumatic brain injury

Worldwide elderly traumatic brain injury (TBI) patients tend to become an increasing burden to the society. Thus, a faster and less expensive way of evaluating TBI victims is needed. In the present study we investigated if optical coherence tomography (OCT) could be used as such a method. By using an animal model, we established if OCT can detect cortical changes in the acute phase of a penetrating TBI, in young (5-7 months) and old (20-22 months) rats. Due to the long-term evolution of TBI's, we wanted to investigate to what extent OCT could detect changes within the cortex in the chronic phase. Adult (7-12 months) male rats were used. Surprisingly, OCT imaging of the normal hemisphere was able to discriminate age-related differences in the mean gray values (MGV) of recorded pixels (p = .032). Furthermore, in the acute phase of TBI, OCT images recorded at 24 hr after the injury showed differences between the apparent damaged area of young and aged animals. Changes of MGV and skewness were only recorded 48 hr after injury. Monitoring the chronical evolution of the TBI with OCT revealed changes over time exceeding the normal range recorded for MGV, skewness and kurtosis, 14 and 21 days after TBI. Although in the present study we still used an extremely invasive approach, as technology improves, less invasive and non-harmful ways of recording OCT may allow for an objective way to detect changes within the brain structure after brain injuries.

Independent predictors of mortality for patients with traumatic renal injury

PURPOSE

To investigate the parameters of renal trauma, including emergent intervention type, that predict the mortality of patients with traumatic renal injury.

METHODS

A retrospective database analysis was performed on patients who sustained a traumatic renal parenchymal injury identified by the 2017 National Trauma Data Bank. Data were analyzed to identify differences in hospital length of stay, ER and hospital disposition, and mortality based on patient age, gender, race, Injury Severity Score, renal injury grade, and need for emergent intervention (angioembolization versus open surgery). Logistic regression was used to correlate intervention type and trauma parameters to mortality.

RESULTS

A total of 4,876 of 1,004,440 trauma patients (0.49%) had a traumatic renal injury. Of those, 220 (4.5%) underwent an emergent intervention-29 (0.59%) angioembolization and 191 (3.9%) open renal surgery. 83 patients with a blunt renal trauma (2.0%) underwent renal intervention, whereas 136 (21.0%) with a penetrating injury required a procedure. Forty-five of the 220 patients (20.5%) who had a renal intervention died, while 377 of 4,656 (8.1%) who did not have an intervention died. Multiple logistic regression identified black race, age > 45 years, penetrating trauma, and ISS > 15 to be independent predictors of mortality. Neither angioembolization nor open renal surgery was associated with a significantly higher likelihood of mortality in the multivariable model.

CONCLUSION

While procedural interventions are associated with higher mortality for patients with traumatic renal injury, other factors, such as race, age, trauma type, and injury severity may be more predictive of death under care.

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

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 comparisons.

Results

391 patients (70% males) were included with median ISS of 29 (22–36), 95% sustained blunt injuries. There was no difference in injury severity, resuscitation, urgent surgeries, nor in ventilator days, ICU-LOS, and H-LOS between age groups. Adjusted odds of MODS, ARDS and infectious complications were similar between age groups. 47% of patients ≥ 70 years died, compared to 10–16% in other age groups (P < 0.001). WLST increased with older age, contributing to more than half of deaths ≥ 70 years. TBI was the most common cause of death and decision for treatment withdrawal in all age groups.

Conclusions

Patients ≥ 70 years had higher mortality risk even though injury severity and complication rates were similar to other age groups. WLST increased with age with the vast majority due to brain injury. More than half of patients ≥ 70 years survived suggesting geriatric polytrauma patients should not be excluded from aggressive injury treatment based on age alone.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00068-020-01567-y.

Characteristics, injuries, and clinical outcomes of geriatric trauma patients in Japan: an analysis of the nationwide trauma registry database

Geriatric trauma is a major socio-economic problem, especially among the aging Japanese society. Geriatric people are more vulnerable to trauma than younger people; thus, their outcomes are often severe. This study evaluates the characteristics of geriatric trauma divided by age in the Japanese population. We evaluated trauma characteristics in patients (n = 131,088) aged ≥ 65 years by segregating them into 2 age-based cohorts: age 65–79 years (65–79 age group; n = 70,707) and age ≥ 80 years (≥ 80 age group; n = 60,381). Clinical characteristics such as patient background, injury mechanism, injury site and severity, treatment, and outcome were examined. Injuries among men were more frequent in the 65–79 age group (58.6%) than in the ≥ 80 age group (36.3%). Falls were the leading cause of trauma among the 65–79 age group (56.7%) and the ≥ 80 age group (78.9%). In-hospital mortality was 7.7% in the 65–79 age group and 6.6% in the ≥ 80 age group. High fall in the ≥ 80 age group showed 30.5% mortality. The overall in-hospital mortality was 11.8% (the 65–79 age group, 12.3%; the ≥ 80 age group, 11.2%). Most hospitalized patients were transferred to another hospital (the 65–79 age group, 52.5%; the ≥ 80 age group, 66.2%). We demonstrated the epidemiological characteristics of Japanese geriatric trauma patients. The overall in-hospital mortality was 11.8%, and fall injury in the ≥ 80 age group required caution of trauma care.

The impact of frailty on posttraumatic outcomes in older trauma patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Frailty is a risk factor for mortality among the elderly. However, evidence from longitudinal studies linking trauma and frailty is fragmented, and a comprehensive analysis of the relationship between frailty and adverse outcomes is lacking. Therefore, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to examine whether frailty is predictive of posttraumatic results including mortality, adverse discharge, complications, and readmission in trauma patients.

METHODS

This systematic review was registered with the PROSPERO international prospective register of systematic reviews. Articles in PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science databases from January 1, 1990, to October 31, 2019, were systematically searched. Articles in McDonald et al.'s study (J Trauma Acute Care Surg. 2016;80(5):824-834) and Cubitt et al.'s study (Injury 2019;50(11):1795-1808) were included for studies evaluating the association between frailty and outcomes in trauma patients. Cohort studies, both retrospective and prospective, were included. Study population was patients suffering trauma injuries with an average age of 50 years and older. Multivariate adjusted odds ratios (ORs) were calculated through a random-effects model, and the Newcastle-Ottawa Quality Assessment Scale was used to assess studies.

RESULTS

We retrieved 11,313 entries. Thirteen studies including seven prospective and six retrospective cohort studies involving 50,348 patients were included in the meta-analysis. Frailty was a significant predictor of greater than 30-day mortality (OR, 2.41; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.17-4.95; I = 88.1%), in-hospital and 30-day mortality (OR, 4.05; 95% CI, 2.02-8.11; I = 0%), postoperative complications (OR, 2.23; 95% CI, 1.34-3.73; I = 78.2%), Clavien-Dindo IV complications (OR, 4.16; 95% CI, 1.70-10.17; I = 0%), adverse discharge (OR, 1.80; 95% CI, 1.15-2.84; I = 78.6%), and readmission (OR, 2.16; 95% CI, 1.19-3.91; I = 21.5%) in elderly trauma patients. Subgroup analysis showed that prospective studies (OR, 3.06; 95% CI, 1.43-6.56) demonstrated a greater correlation between frailty and postoperative complications.

CONCLUSION

Frailty has significant adverse impacts on the occurrence of posttraumatic outcomes. Further studies should focus on interventions for patients with frailty. Given the number of vulnerable elderly trauma patients grows, further studies are needed to determine the accuracy of these measures in terms of trauma outcomes.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Systematic review and meta-analysis, level IV.

A Multi-Institutional Analysis of Damage Control Laparotomy in Elderly Trauma Patients: Do Geriatric Trauma Protocols Matter?

BACKGROUND

Trauma centers are receiving increasing numbers of older trauma patients. There is a lack of literature on the outcomes for elderly trauma patients who undergo damage control laparotomy (DCL). We hypothesized that trauma centers with geriatric protocols would have better outcomes in elderly patients after DCL.

METHODS

A retrospective chart review of consecutive adult trauma patients with DCL at 8 level 1 trauma centers was conducted from 2012 to 2018. Patients aged 40 or older were included. Age ≥ 55 years was defined as elderly. Demographics, injury information, clinical outcomes, including mortality, and complications were recorded. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed.

RESULTS

A total of 379 patients with DCLs were identified with an average age of 54.8 ± 0.4 years with 39.3% (n = 149/379) of patients aged ≥ 55. Geriatric protocols or a consulting geriatric service was present at 37.5% (n = 3/8) of institutions. Age ≥ 55 was a significant risk factor for in-hospital mortality (OR 2, 95% CI 1.0-4.0, P = .04). Institutions without dedicated geriatric trauma protocols/services had higher overall in-hospital mortality on both univariate (57.9% vs 34.3%, P = .02) and multivariate analyses (OR 2.1, 95% CI 1.3-3.4, P < .001).

CONCLUSIONS

Surgical management of older trauma patients remains a challenge. Geriatric protocols or dedicated services were found to be associated with improved outcomes. Future efforts should focus on standardizing the availability of these resources at trauma centers.

Why do some trauma patients die while others survive? A matched-pair analysis based on data from Trauma Register DGU®

PURPOSE

The mortality rate for severely injured patients with the injury severity score (ISS) ≥16 has decreased in Germany. There is robust evidence that mortality is influenced not only by the acute trauma itself but also by physical health, age and sex. The aim of this study was to identify other possible influences on the mortality of severely injured patients.

METHODS

In a matched-pair analysis of data from Trauma Register DGU®, non-surviving patients from Germany between 2009 and 2014 with an ISS≥16 were compared with surviving matching partners. Matching was performed on the basis of age, sex, physical health, injury pattern, trauma mechanism, conscious state at the scene of the accident based on the Glasgow coma scale, and the presence of shock on arrival at the emergency room.

RESULTS

We matched two homogeneous groups, each of which consisted of 657 patients (535 male, average age 37 years). There was no significant difference in the vital parameters at the scene of the accident, the length of the pre-hospital phase, the type of transport (ground or air), pre-hospital fluid management and amounts, ISS, initial care level, the length of the emergency room stay, the care received at night or from on-call personnel during the weekend, the use of abdominal sonographic imaging, the type of X-ray imaging used, and the percentage of patients who developed sepsis. We found a significant difference in the new injury severity score, the frequency of multi-organ failure, hemoglobine at admission, base excess and international normalized ratio in the emergency room, the type of accident (fall or road traffic accident), the pre-hospital intubation rate, reanimation, in-hospital fluid management, the frequency of transfusion, tomography (whole-body computed tomography), and the necessity of emergency intervention.

CONCLUSION

Previously postulated factors such as the level of care and the length of the emergency room stay did not appear to have a significant influence in this study. Further studies should be conducted to analyse the identified factors with a view to optimising the treatment of severely injured patients. Our study shows that there are significant factors that can predict or influence the mortality of severely injured patients.

Reduced Recovery Capacity After Major Trauma in the Elderly: Results of a Prospective Multicenter Registry-Based Cohort Study

AIMS

Considering the worldwide trend of an increased lifetime, geriatric trauma is moving into focus. Trauma is a leading cause of hospitalization, leading to disability and mortality. The purpose of this study was to compare the global health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of geriatric patients with adult patients after major trauma.

METHODS

This multicenter prospective registry-based observational study compares HRQoL of patients aged ≥65 years who sustained major trauma (Injury Severity Score (ISS) ≥ 16) with patients <65 years of age within the trauma registry of the German Trauma Society (DGU). The global HRQoL was measured at 6, 12, and 24 months post trauma using the EQ-5D-3L score.

RESULTS

We identified 405 patients meeting the inclusion criteria with a mean ISS of 25.6. Even though the geriatric patients group (≥65 years, n = 77) had a lower ISS (m = 24, SD = 8) than patients aged <65 years (n = 328), they reported more difficulties in each EQ dimension compared to patients <65 years. Contrary to patients < 65, the EQ-5D Index of the geriatric patients did not improve at 12 and 24 months after trauma.

CONCLUSIONS

We found a limited HRQoL in both groups after major trauma. The group of patients ≥65 showed no improvement in HRQoL from 6 to 24 months after trauma.

Short-term outcome following significant trauma: increasing age per se has only a relatively low impact

PURPOSE

Ongoing demographic changes go hand in hand with an increasing number of elderly injured. Given the conflicting literature we wanted to know how much age per se, apart from other factors, actually explains the outcome for elderly trauma patients.

METHODS

Retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data on all significantly injured (new injury severity score, NISS  ≥ 8) adult patients treated at a Swiss trauma center between 01.01.2010 and 31.12.2017. The association of age and other demographic, trauma or treatment-related variables on parameters of short-term outcome was examined using uni- and multivariate analyses (mean ± SD; R²; p < 0.05).

RESULTS

2692 consecutive patients (33.4% female; mean age 58.1 ± 21.7; hospital mortality 10.1%) were studied. Detailed analysis of quinquennial age groups demonstrated a significant decline in outcome with regard to mortality or return-to-home rate following hospital discharge after the age of 60 years (p < 0.001). In univariate analysis, age explained 4.6% and the number of years ≥ 60 5.9% of hospital mortality. In multivariate analysis, the investigated demographic, trauma or treatment-related parameters contributed at 36.5% to prediction of mortality, age added another 1.5% and number of years  ≥ 60 another 2.1% (R²).

CONCLUSION

This monocenter evaluation showed a significant decline in short-term outcome and an increase in hospital resource requirements by the trauma patients investigated after the age of 60 years. Even so, after controlling for demographic, injury and treatment variables, age per se only added less than 2% to the prediction of hospital mortality.

Radiographic assessment of sarcopenia in the trauma setting: a systematic review

Background

Compared with similarly injured patients of a younger age, elderly patients have worse outcomes from acute injury. One factor adversely affecting outcomes is sarcopenia, which has been assessed in healthy elderly populations through established clinical and radiological criteria. However, in the acute care setting, no such criteria have been established. Sarcopenia has been opportunistically assessed via radiographic means but there is as of yet no gold standard. The purpose of this review is to summarize the radiological methods used to diagnose sarcopenia in the acute care setting, and suggest ways in which these methods may lead to a consensus definition of sarcopenia and its relationship to patient outcomes.

Methods

A systematic survey of medical databases was conducted, with 902 unique publications identified. After screening and application of inclusion and exclusion criteria, data regarding study population, outcome, imaging modality, and criteria for assessment of sarcopenia were extracted from 20 studies. Quality was assessed with the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale.

Results

CT was the imaging modality for 18 of the studies, with total psoas muscle cross-sectional area at the level of L3 and L4 being the dominant method for assessing sarcopenia. Adjustment for body morphology most commonly used patient height or L4 vertebral body area. The majority of articles found radiographically assessed sarcopenia to be significantly correlated to outcomes such as mortality, length of hospital stay, morbidity, and in-hospital complications

Conclusions

Establishing a consistent definition would strengthen its applicability and generalizability to admission and discharge planning.

Level of evidence

Systematic review, level III.

Polytrauma in Older Adults Leads to Significantly Increased TIMP-1 Levels in the Early Posttraumatic Period

Background

Patients after polytrauma regularly suffer from posttraumatic immune system destabilization, which closely influences the further clinical development. Increasing age has recently been identified as an isolated risk factor for an adverse outcome after major trauma. Higher rates and intensity of acute inflammation following severe injury suggest that deregulated inflammation may contribute to these higher rates of posttraumatic morbidity and mortality in older adults. MMP-9 and TIMP-1 have been found to play a major role in posttraumatic immune disorder in a previous genome-wide mRNA analysis.

Objective

The aim of this study was to evaluate the differences in serum protein dynamics in older and younger polytraumatized adults.

Methods

Blood samples were drawn immediately within 90 minutes after trauma and subsequently after 6, 12, 24, 48, and 72 h. Serum levels of TIMP-1 and MMP-9 were quantified using ELISA. Age groups were divided according to a cutoff of 60 years.

Results

60 polytrauma patients (ISS > 16) were included (<60 years, n = 49; ≥60 years, n = 49; ≥60 years, n = 11). Serum TIMP-1 and MMP-9 levels showed a highly significant serum dynamic in young and old polytrauma patients (p < 0.001). Patients ≥ 60 years showed significantly higher overall TIMP-1 levels (p < 0.001). Patients ≥ 60 years showed significantly higher overall TIMP-1 levels (p = 0.008). TIMP-1 levels showed a significant maximum after 72 h in the older study population. MMP-9 levels were nonsignificantly higher during the whole observational period in older polytrauma patients when compared to younger patients.

Conclusion

The posttraumatic immune response is characterized by significantly higher TIMP-1 levels in older polytrauma patients. This significant association between TIMP-1 levels and patients' age indicates a more extensive immune dysregulation following major trauma in older adults.

The immense heterogeneity of frailty in neurosurgery: a systematic literature review

The aim of this study was to review and analyze the neurosurgery body of literature to document the current knowledge of frailty within neurosurgery, standardizing terminology and how frailty is defined, including the different levels of frailty, while determining what conclusions can be drawn about frailty's impact on neurosurgical outcomes. While multiple studies on frailty in neurosurgery exist, no literature reviews have been conducted. Therefore, we performed a literature review in order to organize, tabulate, and present findings from the data to broaden the understanding about what we know from frailty and neurosurgery. We performed a PubMed search to identify studies that evaluated frailty and neurosurgery. The terms "frail," "frailty," "neurosurgery," "spine surgery," "craniotomy," and "neurological surgery" were all used in the query. We then organized, analyzed, and summarized the comprehensive frailty and neurosurgical literature. The literature contained 25 published studies analyzing frailty in neurosurgery between December 2015 and December 2018. Five of these studies were cranial neurosurgical studies, the remaining studies focused on spinal neurosurgery. Over 100,000 surgical cases were analyzed among the 25 studies. Of these, 18 studies demonstrated that increasing frailty was associated with increased rate of complications, 10 studies showed that frailty was associated with higher mortality rates, 11 studies demonstrated an association between frailty and increased hospital length of stay, and 5 studies noted that higher frailty was associated with discharge to a higher level of care. The current body of literature repeatedly demonstrates that frailty is associated with worse outcomes across the neurosurgical subspecialties.

Enhanced pro-inflammatory response and higher mortality rates in geriatric trauma patients

BACKGROUND

Age has been associated with increased morbidity and mortality after traumatic injury. Disregarding trauma-related factors, this may be caused by the diminished ability to cope with stressors due to limited reserve, the so-called frailty. Inflammation is assumed to promote frailty, and thus, pro-inflammatory markers may constitute as being predictive factors in geriatric trauma patients (TP). Here, we analyzed the influence of age on systemic inflammatory markers and outcome parameters in TP.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

204 TP with injury severity score (ISS) ≥ 16 were included and grouped to younger vs. geriatric, defining an age of 65 as cut-off. ISS, vital signs, physiological parameters, stay at the intensive-care unit (ICU) or in-hospital, and outcome parameters were analyzed. Systemic fibrinogen, interleukin (IL)-6, and IL-10 levels were determined upon admission. A p value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

RESULTS

43 geriatric and 161 younger TP were included. ISS (24.19 ± 9.59 vs. 26.93 ± 9.68) was comparable between both groups. Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS) ≥ 3 of head trauma was more prevalent in geriatric TP (74.42 vs. 64.59%). In both groups, there were significantly more male than female patients; however, this disparity was significantly more distinct in younger TP. Geriatric group showed significantly lower shock indices, higher fibrinogen, and lower IL-10 levels (all p < 0.05). A significant spearman´s rank correlation with age was found for fibrinogen (positive correlation, r = 0.364, p < 0.05), and for IL-10 (negative correlation, r = - 0.168, p < 0.05). In-hospital mortality was significantly increased in geriatric TP.

CONCLUSIONS

An enhanced inflammatory response is associated with higher mortality rates in geriatric trauma patients.

Accuracy of algorithms to predict injury severity in older adults for trauma triage

Objective: Older adults make up a rapidly increasing proportion of motor vehicle occupants and previous studies have demonstrated that this population is more susceptible to traumatic injuries. The CDC recommends that patients anticipated to have severe injuries (Injury Severity Score [ISS] ≥ 16) be transported to a trauma center. The recommended target rate for undertriage is ≤ 5% and for overtriage is ≤ 50%. Several regression-based algorithms for injury prediction have been developed in order to predict severe injury in occupants involved in a motor vehicle collision (MVC). The objective of this study to was to determine if the accuracy of regression-based injury severity prediction algorithms decreases for older adults.Methods: Data were obtained from the National Automotive Sampling System - Crashworthiness Data System (NASS-CDS) from the years 2000-2015. Adult occupants involved in non-rollover MVCs were included. Regression-based injury risk models to predict severe injury (ISS ≥ 16) were developed using random split-samples with the following variables: age, delta-V, direction of impact, belt status, and number of impacts. Separate models were trained using data from the following age groups: (1) all adults, (2) 15-54 years, (3) ≥45 years, (4) ≥55 years, and (5) ≥65 years. The models were compared using the mean receiver operating characteristic area under curve (ROC-AUC) after 1,000 iterations of training and testing. The predicted rates of overtriage were then determined for each group in order to achieve an undertriage rate of 5%.Results: There were 24,577 occupants (6,863,306 weighted) included in this analysis. The injury prediction model trained using data from all adults did not perform as well when tested on older adults (ROC-AUC: 15-54 years: 0.874 [95% CI: [0.851-0.895]; 45+ years: 0.837 [95% CI: 0.802-869]; 55+ years: 0.821 [95% CI: 0.775-0.864]; and 65+ years: 0.813 [95% CI: 0.754-0.866]). The accuracy of this model decreased in each decade of life. The performance did not change significantly when age-specific data were used to train the prediction models (ROC-AUC: 18-54 years: 0.874 [95% CI: 0.851-0.896]; 45+ years: 0.836 [95% CI: 0.798-0.871]; 55+ years: 0.822 [95% CI: 0.779-0.864]; and 65+ years: 0.808 [95% CI: 0.748-0.868]). In order to achieve an undertriage rate of 5%, the predicted overtriage rate by these models were 50% for occupants 15-54 years, 61% for occupants ≥ 55 years, 70% for occupants ≥ 55 years, and 71% for occupants ≥ 65 years.Conclusion: The results of this study indicate that it is more difficult to accurately predict severe injury in older adults involved in MVCs, which has the potential to result in significant overtriage. This decreased accuracy is likely due to variations in fragility in older adults. These findings indicate that special care should be taken when using regression-based prediction models to determine the appropriate hospital destination for older occupants.

It is time for a change in the management of elderly severely injured patients! An analysis of 126,015 patients from the TraumaRegister DGU®

BACKGROUND

The number of elderly patients among the severely injured has been increasing continuously. It has been suggested that an increased life expectancy and a higher level of activity and mobility in older ages could explain this observation. Elderly trauma patients have relevant higher mortality rates and poorer functional outcomes. The reasons remain unclear. The aim of this study was to look for differences in the management of severely injured elderly patients compared to younger age groups and to evaluate their potential impact on outcome.

METHODS

The TraumaRegister DGU^® is a multicenter database that documents de-identified data of severely injured patients since 1993. Trauma cases documented between 2009 and 2016 with an ISS ≥ 9 were divided in four age groups. The groups were compared with respect to mechanism of injury, pattern of injury, severity of injury, management and outcome.

RESULTS

The analysis of 126,015 severely injured patients showed that 37.5% of the population were elderly patients (≥ 60 years). Their rate actually increased every year by 1.7%. The elderly trauma patients experience different mechanisms of injury (more low energy trauma) and different pattern of injuries (more brain trauma, less abdominal and extremity injuries). Evaluating the management of patients showed that elderly patients have lower intubation rates and less volume replacement in the prehospital setting. Diagnostic interventions like CT scans in the emergency room were performed more restrictively. Elderly trauma patients also received fewer surgical interventions for brain injuries, pelvic fractures and femur fractures. Their hospital mortality rates were higher.

CONCLUSIONS

Severely injured elderly patients are treated with a more "wait and see approach" resulting in higher mortality rates. We suggest that this population needs a more "aggressive management" to improve their outcome, if the wish to perform complete treatment including surgical procedures and intensive care medicine has not been excluded by the patients or their legal guardian.

Older polytrauma: Mortality and complications

INTRODUCTION

Older adults enduring a polytrauma have an increased mortality risk. Apart from age, the role of other predisposing factors on mortality are mainly described for the total polytrauma population. This study aimed to describe the mortality pattern of older polytrauma patients, its associated risk factors, and the role and etiology of in-hospital complications.

METHODS

An eight-year retrospective cohort was constructed from 380 polytrauma patients aged ≥65 in a Dutch level 1 trauma center and linked to the national trauma database (DTR). Demographics, injury characteristics, comorbidity, clinical characteristics, in-hospital mortality, mortality etiology and complications scored according to the Clavien-Dindo classification were analyzed. Primary outcome was the identification of risk factors associated with in-hospital mortality, followed by identification of in-hospital complications and their nature.

RESULTS

Overall in-hospital mortality was 36.3%, rising significantly with age. For patients aged ≥85 in-hospital mortality was 60.8%. Polytrauma patients aged ≥75 showed a peak of late-onset deaths one week following trauma. Age, a Glasgow coma score ≤8, coagulopathy, acidosis, injury severity score and the presence of a large subdural hematoma were significant risk factors influencing in-hospital mortality. Respiratory failure was the most prevalent severe and fatal complication. The proportion of fatal complications grew significantly with age (p < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

Age is strongly associated with in-hospital mortality in polytraumatized elderly. Coagulopathy, acidosis, a low Glasgow coma score, presence of a large subdural hematoma and injury severity score were independently of age associated with an increased mortality. Patients older than 75 years showed a unique trimodal distribution of mortality with a late onset one week following the initial trauma. Elderly were more susceptible for fatal complications. Respiratory failure was the most prevalent severe and fatal complication. Aggressive monitoring and treatment of the pulmonary status is therefore of utmost importance.

A study of mortality risk factors among trauma referrals to trauma center, Shiraz, Iran, 2017

PURPOSE

Trauma is well known as one of the main causes of death and disability throughout the world. Identifying the risk factors for mortality in trauma patients can significantly improve the quality of care and patient outcomes, as well as reducing mortality rates.

METHODS

In this retrospective cohort study, systematic randomization was used to select 849 patients referred to the main trauma center of south of Iran during a period of six months (February 2017-July 2017); the patients' case files were evaluated in terms of demographic information, pre- and post-accident conditions, clinical conditions at the time of admission and finally, accident outcomes. A logistic regression model was used to analyze the role of factors affecting mortality among subjects.

RESULTS

Among subjects, 60.4% were in the age-group of 15-39 years. There was a 10.4% mortality rate among patients and motor-vehicle accidents were the most common mechanism of injury (66.7%). Aging led to increased risk of fatality in this study. For each unit increase in Glasgow coma scale (GCS), risk of death decreased by about 40% (odds ratio (OR) = 0.63, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.59-0.67). For each unit increase in injury severe score (ISS), risk of death increased by 10% (OR = 1.11%, 95% CI: 1.08-1.14) and for each unit increase in trauma revised injury severity score (TRISS), there was 18% decrease in the risk of fatality (OR = 0.82, 95% CI: 0.71-0.88).

CONCLUSION

The most common cause of trauma and the most common cause of death from trauma was traffic accidents. It was also found that an increase in the ISS index increases the risk of death in trauma patients, but the increase in GCS, revised trauma score (RTS) and TRISS indices reduces the risk of death in trauma patients. The TRISS indicator is better predictor of traumatic death than other indicators.

Prognostic Value of P-POSSUM and Osteopenia for Predicting Mortality After Emergency Laparotomy in Geriatric Patients

Objective

To evaluate the Portsmouth-Physiological and Operative Severity Score for the enUmeration of Mortality and morbidity (P-POSSUM) in comparison with other risk factors for mortality including osteopenia as an indicator for frailty in geriatric patients subjected to emergency laparotomy.

Methods

All geriatric patients (≥65 years) undergoing emergency laparotomy at a single university hospital between 1/2015 and 12/2016 were included in this cohort study. Demographics and outcomes were retrospectively collected from medical records. Association between prognostic markers and 30-day mortality was assessed using Poisson and backward stepwise regression models. Prognostic value was assessed using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves.

Results

209 patients were included with a mean age of 76 ± 7.3 years. American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) classification, age, indication and type of surgery, hypotension, transfusion requirement and current malignancy proved to be statistically significant predictors of 30-day mortality. P-POSSUM mortality was statistically significant in the backward stepwise regression (incidence rate ratio=1.58, 95% CI: 1.16-2.15, p=0.004) while osteopenia was not. P-POSSUM had poor prognostic value for 30-day mortality with an area under the ROC curve (AUC) of 0.59. The prognostic value of P-POSSUM improved significantly when adjusting for patient covariates (AUC=0.83).

Conclusion

P-POSSUM and osteopenia alone hardly predict 30-day mortality in geriatric patients following emergency laparotomy. P-POSSUM adjusted for other patient covariates improves the prediction.

Data-Driven Opportunity to Reduce Elderly Pedestrian Trauma

Elderly patients are at high risk for mortality after injury, and prevention is imperative. Several studies have captured the value of traffic calming or environmental modifications; however, limited data support its use during focused times of the day to reduce pedestrian trauma. This study's aim was to identify when the elderly are more likely to be injured from pedestrian trauma. The Los Angeles County Trauma and Emergency Medicine Information System database was reviewed for all adult pedestrians who were struck by vehicles from 2000 to 2015. Elderly (≥65 years) patients were compared with nonelderly (range, 18–64 years) patients with respect to the time of admission and mortality. The proportion of elderly pedestrian injuries peaked between 9 and 10 am (23%). Compared with their nonelderly counterparts, the elderly were more likely to have a Glasgow Coma Scale ≤8 (11% vs 7%, P < 0.01), be hypotensive (6% vs 3%, P < 0.01), and have a higher Injury Severity Score (median 9 vs 5, P < 0.01). Mortality was significantly higher in the elderly (14% vs 4%, P < 0.01). Elderly pedestrians had an almost 5-fold higher adjusted odds ratio for death: 4.72 ( P < 0.01). Preventative strategies with lower speed limits or high surveillance during these hours in highly populated areas may result in a decreased incidence of these injuries.