Thoracic trauma in the geriatric population and possible preventive measures: a retrospective analysis of 261 cases

The increase in the proportion of the elderly population within society is concurrently escalating their vulnerability to traumas, notably falls associated with age-related comorbidities.

This retrospective analysis involved the examination of data pertaining to patients aged 65 and above who were admitted to our clinic for inpatient treatment following thoracic trauma. Various parameters were statistically compared between the groups with indoor and outdoor traumas.

Of the 261 patients included in the study, 59.4% were male, and the average age in the entire sample was 75.52 ± 7.79. Moreover, 136 (52%) patients had indoor trauma, while 125 (48%) had outdoor trauma. The mean value for all the patients on the Itaki Fall Risk Scale (FRS) II score was 11.04 ± 4.18. The Itaki FRS II score was significantly higher for indoor accidents (11.90 ± 4.34) compared to outdoor accidents (10.10 ± 3.78) (p < 0.001). Additionally, the absence of a fall history and low risk according to the Itaki FRS II score were higher for outdoor accidents compared to indoor accidents, and the difference was statistically significant (p < 0.001). In geriatric trauma occurring outdoors, bilateral rib fractures and extrathoracic findings were significantly more prevalent (p = 0.011 and p = 0.010, respectively). The majority of patients were followed-up without any surgical intervention (73.9%), the most common surgical interventions were catheter (10.3%) and tube thoracostomy (10.3%), and 1.5% of the patients required surgical exploration. Trauma resulted in mortality in 1.5% of the patients.

In the future, specialized measures and prospective studies tailored to the geriatric population, which will constitute the largest demographic segment of society, can facilitate the prevention of trauma-related morbidity and mortality, including associated financial costs.