All authors read and approved the final manuscript.”
“Introduction The population of the western world is simultaneously aging and selleck chemicals llc living longer. In Israel, the rate of increase of the elderly population is expected to be 2.5 times that of the general population [1]. Furthermore, as is the case in Japan, Australia, and Sweden, Israel has the highest life expectancy for males at birth in the world (79 years) [2]. Along with the prolonged life expectancy, seniors also have an improved quality of life, with increased strength and vigor, resulting

in greater physical activity and mobility. Accordingly, all of these factors have resulted in a noticeable increase in the number of seniors with severe traumatic injuries presenting to our trauma center with falls and motor vehicle crashes as the predominant mechanisms of injury [3–5]. The care and treatment of elderly trauma patients is particularly challenging to the trauma surgeon, as advanced age, extensive

past medical history, and poor physiologic reserve MI-503 ic50 are well-recognized risk factors for adverse outcomes following trauma [6, 7]. Attempts to better characterize physiologic deficiencies in the elderly have recently been assessed via calculation of frailty indices in order to predict 6-month postoperative mortality and post-discharge institutionalization [8]. Despite increasing recognition of the unique challenges of the senior population to trauma care, little information is currently available regarding specific factors that predict morbidity and mortality in this group, including an improved understanding of long

term outcome following discharge [9, 10]. Others have shown that the outcome of elderly trauma patients hospitalized in major trauma centers is better than can be predicted based on current indices and therefore, aggressive treatment may improve their chances of regaining their pre-injury status. Lastly, not only in the senior population but in all trauma patients, increasing costs of care have led to careful considerations of resource allocation and improved recognition of scenarios where care may Progesterone be futile [10]. Based upon all of the above factors, our primary objective in the current study was to describe and define the long term outcome of elderly patients following severe trauma in our Israeli level 1 regional trauma center over the most recent 7 year time frame. Our secondary objective was to identify predictors of long term survival in this population. Methods We searched our trauma data base for all trauma patients ≥60 years of age who presented to Trauma Unit of Hadassah University Medical Center, Ein Kerem campus, Jerusalem, the regional Level I Trauma Center, with an ISS of ≥16 between January 2006 and December 2010. Discharged patients were followed after discharge either home or to institutional placement for the duration of the study time frame or until mortality.