Social issues prolong elderly burn patient hospitalization

Area of Science:

• Geriatric Medicine
• Burn Care Management
• Health Services Research

Background:

• Elderly individuals often have complex care needs.
• Burn injuries in older adults can lead to prolonged hospitalizations.
• Discharge planning for geriatric patients requires careful consideration.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the length of hospital stay between younger and older burn patients.
• To analyze discharge destinations for elderly burn patients.
• To investigate the impact of placement assessment on inpatient length of stay for older adults.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective audit of 1641 burn patients over 5 years at Royal Adelaide Hospital Burns Unit.
• Patients divided into two groups: <70 years and ≥70 years.
• Analysis of length of stay, burn size (TBSA), and discharge destination.

Main Results:

• Median length of stay was 5.0 days (<70 years) vs. 10.0 days (≥70 years) (P < .0001).
• Elderly patients had similar burn sizes but a higher need for supported care facilities and placement assessment (P < .001).
• For ≥70 years group, median stay was 9.0 days (no placement assessment) vs. 38.0 days (with assessment) (P < .0001).

Conclusions:

• Elderly burn patients have significantly longer hospital stays, with placement delays being a major contributing factor.
• The findings underscore the need for improved discharge planning and geriatric support in burn units.
• Implementing geriatric assessment may streamline placement processes and reduce inpatient length of stay.