Abstract
Higher incidence of injury in trauma patients older than 65 years is connected with growing morbidity and mortality, first of all in polytrauma. Incidence of preexisting diseases play a great role in development of postinjury reaction.
There are risk factors for genesis of postinjury complications and also mortality of victims. Growing number of polytrauma patients older than 65 years admitted to Trauma Centre Faculty Hospital Královské Vinohrady was reason for evaluation of epidemiological data and their comparison with data regarding to victims younger than 65 years.
In retrospective study was evaluated 239 injured patients with polytrauma, admitted in Emergency unit Department of anesthesiology and resuscitation. From overall number was 47 victims older than 65 years (29/61 %). 75 years was an average age in victims older than 65 years.
Primary admission to Trauma Centre was in case of 42 (85 %) victims older than 65 years. Between causes of injury were most frequent traffic accidents and falls.
Most frequent injury in geriatric patients was craniocerebral injury in 36 patients (76 %) and thoracic trauma in 38 patients (80 %). Skeletal fractures of extremities were found in 21 (44 %) victims.
From comparison of APACHE II score in both group of patients (19 in group of younger patients vs. 27,2 in group of older victims) is possible to establish higher incidence of preexisting diseases in patients older than 65 years. Average ISS score evaluated serious of trauma was without statistic significant difference (22 vs. 21).
Number of deaths was 42 (22 %) in group of victims younger than 65 years and 22 (47 %) in group of victims older than 65 years. Older victims (over 65 years old) were exposed higher mortality in comparison with younger patients.
On the result of treatment participate preexisting diseases besides age. Mechanism of injury and from this resulting type of trauma in older population need new strategy in postinjury care.
Performance of primary admission of older victims with polytrauma to Trauma Centre is tend to this strategy.