Geriatric trauma

Abstract

Resuscitation of the geriatric patient requires special knowledge of the anatomic and physiologic changes that occur with aging. Due to these alterations, the elderly often present with a different constellation of injuries than their younger counterparts. A paucity of prospective randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating elderly trauma care continues to plague management decisions. However, the elderly comprise an increasing percentage of the population in industrialized societies, and their contribution to the total number of trauma patients also continues to rise (1). Due to these considerations, increased attention needs to be spent on the elderly in regards to research and clinical care.