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Type of underlying fracture after the surgical treatment of geriatric trauma patients has no effect on mortality during intensive care treatment
Author(s) -
Knauf Tom,
Jensen Kai Oliver,
Hack Juliana,
Barthel Juliane,
Althaus Hannah,
Buecking Benjamin,
Aigner Rene,
Knobe Matthias,
Ruchholtz Steffen,
Eschbach Daphne
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
geriatrics and gerontology international
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.823
H-Index - 57
eISSN - 1447-0594
pISSN - 1444-1586
DOI - 10.1111/ggi.14053
Subject(s) - medicine , geriatric trauma , comorbidity , intensive care unit , mortality rate , observational study , multivariate analysis , hip fracture , emergency medicine , retrospective cohort study , population , intensive care , intensive care medicine , osteoporosis , injury severity score , poison control , injury prevention , environmental health
Aim Due to demographic change, the number of geriatric patients is still rising. Although hip fractures are the subject of current research, little is known about the remaining geriatric trauma entities. The aim of this study was to collect data of the age‐related traumatological intensive care unit (ICU) population, its underlying diagnosis, and the influence on mortality and length of stay in the ICU. Methods Geriatric trauma patients (aged ≥65 years) treated postoperatively in our surgical ICU were included in this retrospective observational study covering the period 2013–2017. In addition to the underlying fracture entities, patient characteristics, such as age, sex, Charlson Comorbidity Index, length of stay and mortality, were collected to identify possible independent predictive factors for mortality in the ICU using multivariate analysis. Results During the observation period, 805 (60.5%) patients met the inclusion criteria. 47.6% of the patients suffered from a proximal femoral fracture. The total mortality rate during the stay in the ICU was 7.5%. Significant predictive factors for mortality in the ICU were Charlson Comorbidity Index ( P < 0.001) and length of stay ( P < 0.001). The different fracture types themselves were not a significant risk factor for mortality ( P = 0.862). Conclusion Patients with proximal femoral fractures account for approximately half of the patients in intensive care. The mortality rate of these patients is no higher than that in geriatric trauma patients with other fractures. The progression is essentially influenced by the patient's comorbidities. Nowadays, the focus shifts from trauma care to the therapy of concomitant diseases. Nevertheless, this cohort, when adequately treated, shows a comparatively low mortality rate. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2020; 20: 1120–1125 .