Trauma care for the elderly?

The enormous consumption of health-care resources by bluntly injured elderly patients can be justified if their outcome after trauma is good. In this series, 89% of injured elderly patients ultimately returned to their homes, either independent of (57%) or dependent on (32%) outside help. Factors contributing to increased mortality in such patients included age, injury severity, and the presence or absence of cardiac and septic complications. A Geriatric Trauma Survival Score (GTSS) was devised that predicted the likelihood of mortality in these patients. Finally, study of reimbursement indicated that Medicare does not adequately reimburse hospitals for the enormous cost of providing elderly trauma care.