Assessment
Primary survey (the following specific issues are common in the elderly trauma patient)
1. Airway
a. Look for airway anomalies likely to complicate management including dentures and limited
mouth opening (temporomandibular arthritis).
b. Bag mask ventilation is facilitated with dentures in place.
c. Patient with chronic C-spine abnormalities such as diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostonsis
(DISH) should be anticipated to have a difficult airway.
2. Breathing
a. Apply supplemental high flow oxygen early given limited respiratory reserve.
b. Maintain a low threshold for obtaining an arterial blood gas (ABG).
3. Circulation
a. Vital signs may be an unreliable guide in the elderly.
b. Baseline hypertension is common, and medications further obscure vital sign measurement.
c. Low end-tidal CO2 or elevated base deficit on ABG may be better predictors of
compensated shock in this population. Check ABG.
4. Goal-directed therapy
a. Geriatric trauma patients are very sensitive to both hypovolemia and fluid overload.
Monitor the geriatric patient fluid status hourly in the ER. Patients requiring significant
fluid resuscitation may need invasive monitoring and so should be moved to the intensive
care unit (ICU) as soon as possible.
b. Avoid high-volume continuous intravenous (IV) fluid therapy in patients who have been
appropriately resuscitated.
5. Chronic medications
a. Geriatric patients may be on several chronic medications that may affect the trauma work-
up, including:
b. Beta-blockers may keep heart rate low, even in patients with major hypovolemic shock.
c. Screen all geriatric patients for antiplatelet and anticoagulant medications.
d. Oral anticoagulants may increase risk of bleeding. Early STAT head computer tomography
(CT) may be required in patients at risk for head injury, and rapid reversal may be
necessary. (See: Head Injury in Anticoagulated Patient protocol).
e. Geriatric patients at risk for fluid overload who are on chronic oral anticoagulants and
require reversal may benefit from Prothrombin Complex Concentrate (PCC) to minimize
fluid administration.
6. Exposure
a. Avoid hypothermia: All IV fluids given are warmed, blood products (except platelets)
given on via rapid infuser with active warming. Warm blankets placed on patient and
mechanical warming device (Bair Hugger) if time permits.
7. Analgesia and sedative medications
a. Sedative medication such as benzodiazepine in patients who are not intubated should be
used with caution. The combination of these medications with analgesic drugs can cause
significant respiratory decompensation or worsen delirium. In general, mind-altering
medications, such as benzodiazepines, should be minimized or not used in this population.