Evidence-Based Care of Geriatric Trauma Patients

Senile trauma unit, trauma, surgical intensive care unit, emergency medical surgery, surgery

Child intensive care unit, surgical intensive care unit, emergency operation, surgery, Texas Institute of Technology Health Science Center, John A. Griswold trauma center, 3601 4th Street MS 8312, Lubbock, TX 79430, USA

Corresponding author Texas Tech University Health Science Center Surgery, 3601 4th Street MS 8312, Lubbock, TX 79430

, MD Steven E. Brooks MD correspondence information on MD Steven E. Brooks on author

The ACS TQIP Best Practices Guide aims to provide health professionals with evidence-based advice on the care of elderly patients with trauma. The best practice guidelines do not include all potential options for prevention, diagnosis, and treatment, nor replace the provider's clinical judgment and experience. Responsible donors must make all treatment decisions based on his or her independent judgment and the individual clinical outcome of the patient. ACS assumes no responsibility for any direct, indirect, special, incidental or consequential damages arising out of the use of the information contained herein. ACS can modify the TQIP best practice guide at any time without notice.

There are limited data to guide healthcare providers in classifying decisions on elderly trauma patients. Therefore, elderly patients should be examined as much as possible at the trauma center (Caterino, Valasek, & Werman, 2010). The data leading to the Advanced Atlas Life Support (ATLS) course at the American Surgery College is based on information from the mid-1980s (Caterino et al., 2010). Past and present senile trauma guidelines did not include new emerging data on elderly patient care and outcomes (Calland et al., 2012). Guidelines for improving the mortality and prognosis of elderly patients must be used to guide the care of these patients. The urgent question in the current dialogue is how old is to make trauma patients "older trauma" (Kozar et al., 2015).