Citation

Ross N, Timberlake GA, Rubino LJ, Kerstein MD. South. Med. J. 1989; 82(7): 857-859.

Affiliation

Department of Surgery, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA 70112.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1989, Southern Medical Association)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

2749355

Abstract

Trauma in the elderly is a significant public health problem in terms of morbidity, mortality, and expenditure of health care resources. We compared injury severity score, length of stay, hospital charges, and mortality rate in a group of 60 elderly patients and a group of 60 younger patients admitted to our hospital. The older group had an average hospital stay that was more than four days longer, at an average hospital charge of $15,769.55, and their mortality rate was 15% versus 0% among the younger group. Despite early and aggressive care, the elderly continue to pose an important problem for trauma centers in terms of both length of stay and cost.

Language: en