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Palliative Care in the Elderly Injured Patient

  • Geriatric Trauma (F Luchette, Section Editor)
  • Published:
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Abstract

Purpose of Review

The purpose of this review is to provide up-to-date insight into the current practices of palliative care in elderly trauma patients.

Recent Findings

The use and need of palliative care programs have grown substantially throughout the USA in both public and not-for-profit hospitals. The geriatric trauma outcome score has been proposed as a tool to help better explain to patients and their stakeholders the likelihood of mortality in injured geriatric trauma patients. The study of frailty and the differences between patients of similar age has become a focus of many surgical societies. Recent studies also address how to improve end-of-life communication through training programs for health-care professionals.

Summary

Palliative care in trauma and other populations is evolving. Adequately trained staff are needed for facilitating care in this vulnerable patient population, while also providing education on best practices for appropriate discussion of palliation and end-of-life care in the trauma population.

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Papers of particular interest, published recently, have been highlighted as: • Of importance •• Of major importance

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  1. University of California, Davis, 2315 Stockton Blvd, Room 4206, Sacramento, CA, 95817, USA

    Eleanor Curtis, Debi Thomas & Christine S. Cocanour

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  1. Eleanor Curtis
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Correspondence to Christine S. Cocanour.

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Curtis, E., Thomas, D. & Cocanour, C.S. Palliative Care in the Elderly Injured Patient. Curr Trauma Rep 3, 13–18 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40719-017-0071-5

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