Background: The aim of this study was to determine the epidemiology and clinical features of the trauma in elderly patients, to investigate the factors influencing mortality and morbidity and to make a contribution to the national trauma data.
Methods: We retrospectively investigated the medical records of three hundred seventy-one trauma patients (231 males (62,3%); 140 females (37,7%); mean age 71,9), aged 65 and older presenting to our hospital. Patients' census data, diagnosis, dispositions, prognosis, trauma scores (GCS (Glasgow Coma Score), RTS (Adult Trauma Score), ISS (Injury Severity Score)), sites of injury were analyzed.
Results: During the study period 187.326 patients were admitted to our emergency department (ED). A total of 9.520 patients were trauma patients. There were 371 patients 65 years and older. Mean GCS, mean RTS and mean ISS were 13,6, 11,3, and 9,3 respectively. A total of 213 patients were hospitalized. Mean length of stay was 7,9 days. Sixty-six patients were discharged from the ED. Mortality rate was 10,2% (38/371). The mechanism of injury, injury severity, increasing age were predictors of mortality (p<0.001). Major injuries included head trauma (36,4%), extremity trauma (36,4%), and thoracic trauma (18%). Head trauma and abdominal trauma were significantly more frequent in the nonsurvivors (p<0.001 and p=0.02 respectively).
Conclusion: Injury severity and increasing age were the predictors of mortality. Also pedestrian- vehicle collision patients were high mortality rate than the other trauma mechanisms. The most common injured organs were head and extremities.