Functional capacity and severity of trauma in the elderly

Abstract

Objective: Correlate functional capacity in elderly people with the severity of the trauma and compare it before and after the trauma. Methods: Prospective observational study conducted in an emergency department, comprised of 55 elderly people, age 60 and over, of both sexes, who suffered trauma. The incapacity of patients with functional limitations of various origins was assessed. The research instruments applied at three different times were: the Functional Independence Measure and the Injury Severity Score to assess the severity of the trauma. Results: Functional capacity within 48 hours of the trauma was signifcantly higher than functional capacity at discharge and after one month. The lower the severity of the trauma was the greater the functional capacity of the aged Conclusion: The functional capacity of the elderly deteriorated during the time of hospital stay and one month after discharge.