Comparison of fall-related traumatic brain injury in residential aged care and community-dwelling older people: A population-based study

Interactions during falls with environmental objects: evidence from real-life falls in long-term care captured on video

BACKGROUND

Falls are the leading cause of injuries in older adults. Environmental objects (such as furniture, walls, and handrails) may act as hazards or facilitators to balance maintenance and safe landing. There is lack of objective evidence on how older adults interact with objects during falls. We addressed this gap by characterizing body part contacts with objects other than the floor during real-life falls in long-term care.

METHODS

We analyzed videos of 1759 falls experienced by 584 residents to characterize the prevalence of contacts with objects before, during, and after fall initiation. Using generalized estimating equations, we compared the prevalence of falls with versus without contact to objects after fall initiation. Using linear mixed models, we tested for differences across body parts in the probability of contacting objects after fall initiation.

RESULTS

In nearly one-third of falls, interactions with objects (e.g., trips over objects, loss of support with objects) or with other people (e.g., being pushed by another person) had a primary role in causing imbalance and initiating the fall. After fall initiation, participants contacted objects in 60% of falls, with intentional hand contacts to objects via reach-to-grasp or bracing being the most common type of interaction (Probability ± SE = 0.32 ± 0.01), followed by unintentional impacts to the torso (0.21 ± 0.01) and head (0.16 ± 0.01). Intentional hand contact to an object was more common during forward than backward falls (p < 0.001), while head and torso contacts to objects were more common during backward and sideways falls than forward falls (multiple p values ≤ 0.003). The hand most often contacted chairs, wheelchairs or couches, followed by tables or counters, walls, other people, walkers, and handrails. The head, torso, and shoulder most often contacted a wall.

CONCLUSIONS

Most falls in long-term care involved contacts with objects other than the ground, indicating that complex environments often accompany falls in long-term care. Higher probabilities of intentional hand contacts in forward falls, versus unintentional head and torso impacts in backward and sideways falls may reflect the influence of being able to visualize and adjust one's falling patterns to nearby objects.

Traumatic brain injury in elderly population: A global systematic review and meta-analysis of in-hospital mortality and risk factors among 2.22 million individuals

BACKGROUND

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) among elderly individuals poses a significant global health concern due to the increasing ageing population.

METHODS

We searched PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Embase from database inception to Feb 1, 2024. Studies performed in inpatient settings reporting in-hospital mortality of elderly people (≥60 years) with TBI and/or identifying risk factors predictive of such outcomes, were included. Data were extracted from published reports, in-hospital mortality as our main outcome was synthesized in the form of rates, and risk factors predicting in-hospital mortality was synthesized in the form of odds ratios. Subgroup analyses, meta-regression and dose-response meta-analysis were used in our analyses.

FINDINGS

We included 105 studies covering 2217,964 patients from 30 countries/regions. The overall in-hospital mortality of elderly patients with TBI was 16 % (95 % CI 15 %-17 %) from 70 studies. In-hospital mortality was 5 % (95 % CI, 3 %-7 %), 18 % (95 % CI, 12 %-24 %), 65 % (95 % CI, 59 %-70 %) for mild, moderate and severe subgroups from 10, 7, and 23 studies, respectively. A decrease in in-hospital mortality over years was observed in overall (1981-2022) and in severe (1986-2022) elderly patients with TBI. Older age 1.69 (95 % CI, 1.58-1.82, P < 0.001), male gender 1.34 (95 % CI, 1.25-1.42, P < 0.001), clinical conditions including traffic-related cause of injury 1.22 (95 % CI, 1.02-1.45, P = 0.029), GCS moderate (GCS 9-12 compared to GCS 13-15) 4.33 (95 % CI, 3.13-5.99, P < 0.001), GCS severe (GCS 3-8 compared to GCS 13-15) 23.09 (95 % CI, 13.80-38.63, P < 0.001), abnormal pupillary light reflex 3.22 (95 % CI, 2.09-4.96, P < 0.001), hypotension after injury 2.88 (95 % CI, 1.06-7.81, P = 0.038), polytrauma 2.31 (95 % CI, 2.03-2.62, P < 0.001), surgical intervention 2.21 (95 % CI, 1.22-4.01, P = 0.009), pre-injury health conditions including pre-injury comorbidity 1.52 (95 % CI, 1.24-1.86, P = 0.0020), and pre-injury anti-thrombotic therapy 1.51 (95 % CI, 1.23-1.84, P < 0.001) were related to higher in-hospital mortality in elderly patients with TBI. Subgroup analyses according to multiple types of anti-thrombotic drugs with at least two included studies showed that anticoagulant therapy 1.70 (95 % CI, 1.04-2.76, P = 0.032), Warfarin 2.26 (95 % CI, 2.05-2.51, P < 0.001), DOACs 1.99 (95 % CI, 1.43-2.76, P < 0.001) were related to elevated mortality. Dose-response meta-analysis of age found an odds ratio of 1.029 (95 % CI, 1.024-1.034, P < 0.001) for every 1-year increase in age on in-hospital mortality.

CONCLUSIONS

In the field of elderly patients with TBI, the overall in-hospital mortality and its temporal-spatial feature, the subgroup in-hospital mortalities according to injury severity, and dose-response meta-analysis of age were firstly comprehensively summarized. Substantial key risk factors, including the ones previously not elucidated, were identified. Our study is thus of help in underlining the importance of treating elderly TBI, providing useful information for healthcare providers, and initiating future management guidelines. This work underscores the necessity of integrating elderly TBI treatment and management into broader health strategies to address the challenges posed by the aging global population.

REVIEW REGISTRATION

PROSPERO CRD42022323231.

Do young people with neurological conditions in residential aged care use hospitals differently than those in the community? Evidence from Victorian hospital data, 2014-2017

This study describes the duration and reasons for hospitalisation for three cohorts of younger adults with neurological conditions who either used residential aged care (RAC) or lived in the community. Hospitalisations as a clinical event indicate conditions for which younger people in RAC may need support as they move into community-based housing. Data describing 3 years of hospitalisations in Victorian public hospitals and emergency departments were used. The neurological conditions occurring among the three cohorts include (1) Cerebral Vascular Accident (CVA), (2) Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and (3) Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Frequency of hospitalisation, length of stay and leading causes of potentially preventable hospitalisations were examined. Two hundred and fifty-two (2.7%) of 9333 patients hospitalised for these neurological conditions subsequently used RAC. Hospitalisations were more frequent for those using RAC compared to those living in the community for cohorts with CVA and TBI (6.26 vs. 2.65 events per person-year for CVA and 4.34 vs. 1.88 for TBI) while hospitalisations were more frequent among those in the community compared to those using RAC for the cohort living with MS (3.62 vs. 5.35 per person-year). However, for all the cohorts, the average length of acute hospital stays was longer among RAC users than among those in the community (19.6 vs. 6.2 days for CVA, 15.5 vs. 4.5 for TBI and 12.2 vs. 7.0 for MS). Leading causes for hospitalisation were complex comorbidities and changes in health status (such as seizures, ulcers, dehydration and cellulitis). Efforts should be made to design supports and proactively manage health needs leading to these hospitalisations.

Injury-Related Emergency Department Presentations Among Residential Aged Care Residents in Victoria, Australia

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to quantify and describe the characteristics of emergency department (ED) injury presentations and subsequent hospital admissions among residents of residential aged-care facilities (RACFs) in Victoria, Australia between 2008 and 2018.

METHODS

This study comprised a single jurisdiction population-based study of consecutive injury-related ED presentations of RACFs residents using the Victorian Emergency Minimum Dataset (VEMD).

RESULTS

The rate of ED injury presentations per 100,000 population decreased by .8% per year over 10 years (P = .03); however, the rate per 100,000 RACF bed days increased by .6% per year (P = .05). The proportion of presentations subsequently admitted to hospital increased 4.0% per year (P<.0001). The majority of presentations were due to falls (82.5%), with fracture(s) being the most common injury type (34.0%).

DISCUSSION

The increased rate of ED visits and hospital admissions in RACFs residents highlights the need to design specialized emergency care services and/or provide better direct access to hospital care for this vulnerable population.

Classification of Injurious Fall Severity in Hospitalized Adults

BACKGROUND

Many hospital systems in the United States report injurious inpatient falls using the National Database of Nursing Quality Indicators categories: None, Minor, Moderate, Major, and Death. The Major category is imprecise, including injuries ranging from a wrist fracture to potentially fatal subdural hematoma. The purpose of this project was to refine the Major injury classification to derive a valid and reliable categorization of the types and severities of Major inpatient fall-related injuries.

METHODS

Based on published literature and ranking of injurious fall incident reports (n = 85) from a large Academic Medical Center, we divided the National Database of Nursing Quality Indicators Major category into three subcategories: Major A-injuries that caused temporary functional impairment (eg, wrist fracture), major facial injury without internal injury (eg, nasal bone fracture), or disruption of a surgical wound; Major B-injuries that caused long-term functional impairment or had the potential risk of increased mortality (eg, multiple rib fractures); and Major C-injuries that had a well-established risk of mortality (eg, hip fracture). Based on the literature and expert opinion, our research team reached consensus on an administration manual to promote accurate classification of Major injuries into one of the three subcategories.

RESULTS

The team tested and validated each of the categories which resulted in excellent interrater reliability (kappa = .96). Of the Major injuries, the distribution of Major A, B, and C was 40.3%, 16.1%, and 43.6%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

These subcategories enhance the National Database of Nursing Quality Indicators categorization. Using the administration manual, trained personnel can classify injurious fall severity with excellent reliability.

Geriatric Traumatic Brain Injury: Epidemiology, Outcomes, Knowledge Gaps, and Future Directions

This review of the literature on traumatic brain injury (TBI) in older adults focuses on incident TBI sustained in older adulthood ("geriatric TBI") rather than on the separate, but related, topic of older adults with a history of earlier-life TBI. We describe the epidemiology of geriatric TBI, the impact of comorbidities and pre-injury function on TBI risk and outcomes, diagnostic testing, management issues, outcomes, and critical directions for future research. The highest incidence of TBI-related emergency department visits, hospitalizations, and deaths occur in older adults. Higher morbidity and mortality rates among older versus younger individuals with TBI may contribute to an assumption of futility about aggressive management of geriatric TBI. However, many older adults with TBI respond well to aggressive management and rehabilitation, suggesting that chronological age and TBI severity alone are inadequate prognostic markers. Yet there are few geriatric-specific TBI guidelines to assist with complex management decisions, and TBI prognostic models do not perform optimally in this population. Major barriers in management of geriatric TBI include under-representation of older adults in TBI research, lack of systematic measurement of pre-injury health that may be a better predictor of outcome and response to treatment than age and TBI severity alone, and lack of geriatric-specific TBI common data elements (CDEs). This review highlights the urgent need to develop more age-inclusive TBI research protocols, geriatric TBI CDEs, geriatric TBI prognostic models, and evidence-based geriatric TBI consensus management guidelines aimed at improving short- and long-term outcomes for the large and growing geriatric TBI population.

Integrated Health Care Management of Moderate to Severe TBI in Older Patients-A Narrative Review

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Traumatic brain injuries are common, especially within the elderly population, which is typically defined as age 65 and older. This narrative review aims at summarizing and critically evaluating important aspects of their health care management in covering the entire pathway from prehospital care to rehabilitation and beyond.

RECENT FINDINGS

The number of older patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) is increasing, and there seem to be differences in all aspects of care along their pathway when compared to younger patients. Despite a higher mortality and a generally less favorable outcome, the current literature shows that older TBI patients have the potential to make significant improvements over time. More research is needed to evaluate the most efficient and integrated clinical pathway from prehospital interventions to rehabilitation as well as the optimal treatment of older TBI patients. Most importantly, they should not be denied access to specific treatments and therapies only based on age.