The evaluation of geriatric patients who presented with trauma to the emergency department.

Introduction: Geriatric patients are subject to traumas more frequently due to age-related physiopathological changes. The objective of the study was to evaluate the demographic properties of geriatric patients who presented with trauma to the emergency department in addition to establishing the course of the diagnosis and treatment.

Material and methods: Nine hundred and twelve geriatric patients who presented with trauma to the emergency department during one year were included in this retrospective study. Cause of the presentation, demographic properties, diseases, medications, sites of trauma, departments of consultations, departments that the patients were admitted to, discharge, mortality and morbidity rates were obtained from the folders of the subjects. The subjects were assigned to age groups 65-79 years old and over 80 years old.

Results: 60.4% ( n = 551) of the 912 subjects were female, 39.6% ( n = 361) were male and the mean age of the subjects was 77.16 (65-100). Falls were the most common cause (80.3%) of traumas, and the most frequently affected parts of the body were the extremities. The over 80 group was the most frequently consulted group ( p = 0.01) and women were admitted more often to the hospital ( p = 0.03). Of the patients who presented with trauma, 28.9% ( n = 264) were hospitalized and 2% ( n = 18) died. The most common causes of death of patients were femur fractures and intracranial hemorrhages.

Conclusions: Due to high mortality and morbidity, this geriatric patient group deserves a multidisciplinary approach beginning with the emergency departments.