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Operative Techniques and Recent Advances in Acute Care and Emergency Surgery pp 707–713Cite as

Management Strategies in Geriatric Trauma Care

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Abstract

The geriatric population is rapidly growing, and they are leading an increasingly active lifestyle resulting in a brisk and continuing increase in the incidence of traumatic injury in this population. Due to normal physiologic changes associated with aging and an increased prevalence of coexisting disease, it is expected that traumatic injuries in geriatric patients would be associated with a higher morbidity and mortality. However, the current statistics are dismal, and the economic impact is enormous. It is imperative that we improve. This chapter will provide a brief overview of the normal physiologic changes associated with aging and then discuss a geriatric-specific approach to the triaging, evaluation, and management of these patients with a particular focus on orthopedic and neurologic traumatic injuries. It will conclude with a brief discussion of the concept of clinical momentum as it relates to the management of traumatic injuries in the geriatric population.

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Abbreviations

CSE:

Combined spinal-epidural

GCS:

Glasgow coma scale

ISS:

Injury severity score

NOAC:

Novel oral anticoagulant

TBI:

Traumatic brain injury

TLS:

Advanced Trauma Life Support

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anesthesiology, The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA

    Maurice F. Joyce

  2. Department of Anesthesiology, Tufts Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA

    Justin Benoit & Ruben J. Azocar

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  1. Maurice F. Joyce
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  2. Justin Benoit
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  3. Ruben J. Azocar
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Correspondence to Ruben J. Azocar .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Dipartimento di Emergenza Urgenza, ASST Grande Ospedale Metropolitano Niguarda, Milan, Milano, Italy

    Paolo Aseni

  2. School of Medicine, University of Milano-Bicocca, Niguarda Hospital, Milan, Milano, Italy

    Luciano De Carlis

  3. Department of Cardiac Surgery, IRCCS MultiMedica, Milan, Milano, Italy

    Alessandro Mazzola

  4. Department of Cardiac Surgery, IRCCS Fondazione Policlinico San Matteo, Pavia, Italy

    Antonino M. Grande

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Joyce, M.F., Benoit, J., Azocar, R.J. (2019). Management Strategies in Geriatric Trauma Care. In: Aseni, P., De Carlis, L., Mazzola, A., Grande, A.M. (eds) Operative Techniques and Recent Advances in Acute Care and Emergency Surgery. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-95114-0_48

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