Characteristics and Clinical Outcomes of Elderly Patients with Trauma Treated in a Local Trauma Center

Purpose This study aimed to investigate the characteristics of elderly patients who visited a non-regional trauma center to examine the effects of old age on the clinical outcomes of patients. Methods The medical charts of 159 patients with trauma who visited the National Health Insurance Service Ilsan Hospital between March 2020 and February 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. Results Of the 159 patients, 41 were assigned to the elderly patient group (EPG) and 118 were assigned to the non-elderly patient group (NEPG). The average age of patients in each group was 75.5 and 38.2 years in the EPG and the NEPG, respectively. Comparing the injury mechanism between the two groups, pedestrian traffic accidents (TA) were the most common (24.4%), followed by slipping (19.5%), motorcycle TA, and bicycle TA (14.6%) in EPG. In the NEPG, motorcycle TA (28.0%) was the most common, followed by car TA (27.1%), and fall injury (16.9%), with a significant difference between the two groups (p < 0.001). The significant differences between the two groups were the injury severity score (ISS; p = 0.004), severe trauma (p = 0.045), intensive care unit admission (p = 0.028), emergency operation (p = 0.034), and mortality (p = 0.013). The statistically significant risk factors for mortality were old age (p = 0.024) and chest injury (p = 0.013). Conclusion Patients in the EPG compared with the NEPG group showed different injury mechanisms. The EPG has a higher severity and mortality rate than the NEPG.