@article{ref1,
title="Characteristics and Outcomes of Injured Older Adults After Hospital Admission",
journal="Journal of the American Geriatrics Society",
year="2010",
author="Aitken, Leanne M. and Burmeister, Elizabeth and Lang, Johannes and Chaboyer, Wendy and Richmond, T. S.",
volume="58",
number="3",
pages="442-449",
abstract="OBJECTIVES: To describe the seriously injured adult population aged 65 and older; compare the differences in injury characteristics and outcomes in three subgroups aged 65 to 74, 75 to 84, and 85 and older; and identify predictors of death, complications, and hospital discharge destination. DESIGN: Retrospective secondary analysis of data from the Queensland Trauma Registry (QTR) using all patients aged 65 and older admitted from 2003 through 2006. SETTING: Data from 15 regional and tertiary hospitals throughout Queensland, Australia. PARTICIPANTS: Six thousand sixty-nine patients: 2,291 (37.7%) aged 65 to 74, 2,265 (37.3%) aged 75 to 84, and 1,513 (24.9%) aged 85 and older. MEASUREMENTS: Outcome variables included mortality, complications, and discharge destination (usual residence, rehabilitation, nursing home, convalescence). Predictive factors incorporated demographic details, injury characteristics, and acute care factors. RESULTS: Hospital survival was 95.0%, with a median length of hospital stay of 8 days (interquartile range 5-15), and 33.8% of cases with a major injury developed a complication. Predictors of death included older age, male sex, admission to the intensive care unit (ICU), greater Injury Severity Score (ISS), injury caused by a fall, and two or more injuries; those who had surgery were less likely to die. Predictors of complications included ICU admission, older age, longer hospital stay, and two or more injuries. Predictors of discharge to a nursing home included older age, greater ISS, longer hospital stay, and injury caused by a fall, among others. CONCLUSION: Older adults with severe injuries are at risk of poor outcomes. These findings suggest opportunities for improving geriatric trauma care that could lead to better outcomes.<p /><p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0002-8614",
doi="10.1111/j.1532-5415.2010.02728.x",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1532-5415.2010.02728.x"
}