What is it about?
Trauma patients at the extremes of age may require a specialized approach during a multiple casualty incident (MCI). The aim of this study was to examine the type of injuries encountered in children and elderly patients and the implications of these injuries for treatment and organization. Based on 23 events, elders (≥65 years) incurred more moderate and severe injuries (ISS≥9), were in need of more blood transfusion, were in need of more CT scans and underwent more surgery. Elders were hospitilized longer and suffered higher mortality. Injury at an older age confers an increased risk of complications and death in victims of MCIs.
Featured Image
Why is it important?
In order to make an impact on survival, hospital contingency plans should address the approach to elderly patients injured in MCIs.
Perspectives
Most of the literature to date recognizes children as a special population in need of a specialized approach during an MCI. The present study highlights our observation that elders, rather than other age groups, had the highest risk to suffer from reversible in-hospital mortality.
Itamar Ashkenazi
Rambam Health Care Campus
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: The Impact of Age upon Contingency Planning for Multiple-casualty Incidents Based on a Single Center’s Experience, Prehospital and Disaster Medicine, August 2016, Cambridge University Press,
DOI: 10.1017/s1049023x16000613.
You can read the full text:
Contributors
The following have contributed to this page
