Trauma Recidivism Postdischarge Mortality: Important Differences Exist between the Adult and Geriatric Populations

Area of Science:

• Traumatology
• Geriatric Medicine
• Public Health

Background:

• Trauma recidivism represents a significant challenge in healthcare delivery.
• The impact of repeated trauma admissions on mortality, particularly in older adults, remains understudied.
• Identifying high-risk patient populations is crucial for improving outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between trauma recidivism and post-discharge mortality in both adult and geriatric trauma patients.
• To compare the characteristics and outcomes of trauma recidivists across different age groups.
• To determine if trauma recidivism independently increases mortality risk.

Main Methods:

• Querying a Level I trauma center registry (2008-2012) for trauma patients.
• Stratifying patients into adult (18-64 years) and geriatric (≥65 years) cohorts.
• Matching registry data with National Death Index for mortality analysis and utilizing Kaplan-Meier curves.

Main Results:

• Recidivists (n=369) had higher post-discharge mortality compared to non-recidivists.
• Geriatric recidivists (≥65 years) experienced nearly 46% post-discharge mortality.
• Significant differences observed in injury patterns, length of stay, and discharge disposition between adult and geriatric recidivists.

Conclusions:

• Trauma recidivism is linked to substantially increased post-discharge mortality in both adult and geriatric populations.
• Distinct characteristics exist between adult and geriatric trauma recidivists, necessitating tailored management strategies.
• Further research is warranted to identify modifiable risk factors to mitigate morbidity and mortality in trauma recidivists.