Trauma and the elderly: the impact on critical care

The population older than age 65 is growing rapidly. This change in the demographics of our nation is impacting critical care in many ways. Most researchers have found that trauma patients older than 65 have a higher mortality rate, longer hospital stays, more complications, common mechanism of injuries, and poorer outcomes than their younger counterparts. These facts must be taken into consideration when planning care for the elderly trauma patient population. This paper will review the research literature on elderly trauma victims and the impact these patients are having on critical care practice.