Controversies in the evaluation of young children with fractures

Predictors of Physical Abuse in Elder Patients With Fracture

INTRODUCTION

Elder abuse is a public health issue requiring attention. Unlike abuse in the pediatric population, predictors of elder abuse in patients with fracture have not been well defined.

METHODS

Elderly patients with physical abuse and fracture were abstracted using the 2007 to 2017 National Emergency Department Sample database. Univariate comparisons, multivariate regression, and adjusted odds ratios were used to determine independent predictors of elder abuse compared with nonabuse fracture controls.

RESULTS

Thirteen percent of elder physical abuse patients presenting to the emergency department had fracture. Of all patients with fracture, elder abuse patients tended to be younger; be female; belong to lower income quartiles; and have codiagnoses of volume depletion, mental disorders, dementia, and intellectual disability. Presentation with other forms of elder abuse, such as psychological abuse, neglect, and sexual abuse, and multiple fractures were also associated with elder physical abuse. Multivariate regression found elder abuse to be more likely in the setting of skull and rib fractures and less likely in the setting of femur and foot and ankle fractures.

DISCUSSION

This study identified predictors of elder physical abuse in fracture patients older than 60 years. As with pediatric abuse, heightened awareness of potential physical abuse should be considered, especially in higher risk patients.

Are There Hallmarks of Child Abuse? I. Osseous Injuries

Fractures are commonly found in cases regarded as child abuse. The most commonly encountered fractures are to the ribs and the metaphyses. This paper examines the specificity of the classical metaphyseal lesion (CML) and rib fractures as hallmarks of child abuse. Recently, vitamin D deficiency (rickets) has been proposed as an alternative cause for the appearances typically described in CML. The literature in this area is examined. Rib fractures have also been highly associated with child abuse, particularly posterior rib fractures. As well as metabolic bone disease, resuscitation has been examined as a cause of rib fractures in young children. The current literature remains strongly supportive of rib fractures and metaphyseal fractures being indicators of child abuse.

Is This Broken Bone Because of Abuse? Characteristics and Comorbid Diagnoses in Older Adults with Fractures

OBJECTIVES

To examine the relationship between individual characteristics and potential correlates of elder abuse in older adults who present with fractures.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional analysis of deidentified data extracted from medical records.

SETTING

Academic medical center.

PARTICIPANTS

Individuals aged 65 and with a primary diagnosis of any fracture admitted to an outpatient department or emergency department (ED) in a single southern California medical center over a 36-month period (N = 652).

MEASUREMENTS

Participant characteristics included demographic characteristics, number of medical visits, and point of service. Corresponding International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) codes, E-codes, and V-codes were extracted to identify cause, location, and type of fracture. The presence of 13 potential correlates of abuse as captured by ICD-9 codes were extracted and summed. Descriptive statistics and regression models were used for analyses.

RESULTS

Mean age of participants was 77.2, 58% were female (58%), 60% were white (60%), and 46% had one or more potential correlates of abuse. In bivariate analyses, older age (≥80), dementia, seeking care in the ED (vs inpatient or outpatient clinics), only one visit to a medical facility (vs multiple visits) in the 36-month study period, cause of fracture as something other than a fall, and fractures of the head or face were more likely to have at least one correlate of abuse. In logistic regression, dementia (B = 0.794, standard error (SE) = 0.280); seeking care in the ED (vs outpatient or outpatient clinics) (B = 1.86, SE = 0.302); at least two visits to a medical facility (vs multiple visits) (B = -0.585, SE = 0.343); and fracture of the back (B = 0.730, SE = 0.289), head (B = 1.22, SE = 0.333), and face (B = 1.28, SE = 0.474) were associated with the presence of at least one correlate of abuse.

CONCLUSION

Certain characteristics in older adults with fracture are associated with potential correlates of abuse. Medical practitioners should have a heightened awareness when these signs are present.

Medical evaluation for child physical abuse: what the PNP needs to know

Physical abuse is a problem of epidemic proportions. Pediatric nurse practitioners (PNPs) will most likely encounter physically abused children in their practice. This continuing education offering will help PNPs develop the skills necessary to recognize an injury that raises the concern for abuse based on characteristics of the injury such as appearance, location, or severity and characteristics of the history given for the injury. The link between corporal punishment and physical abuse will be discussed. Cutaneous findings of abuse, oral injuries, skeletal injuries, abdominal trauma, and abusive head trauma will also be discussed.