GERIATRIC TRAUMA - AGGRESSIVE INTENSIVE-CARE UNIT MANAGEMENT IS JUSTIFIED

The United States population older than 65 years increased 21 per cent from 1980 to 1990. Attempts to characterize geriatric trauma have fai led to yield a consensus on basic descriptors or physiologic parameter s predictive of outcome. We reviewed the records of 170 trauma patient s, aged 60 or above, admitted to our institution in a recent 50-month period. Mortality was 21.8 per cent. None of the 54 general care patie nts died; 79 (68%) of the 116 ICU patients survived. ICU deaths correl ated with number of organ systems failing and severe head injury. Alth ough these results justify aggressive ICU treatment, average hospital stay was 15 days, and one third of patients required skilled nursing f acilities for ultimate recovery, so the resource cost is high.