Missed opportunities: under-detection of trauma in elderly adults involved in motor vehicle crashes

Journal of Emergency Nursing : JEN : Official Publication of the Emergency Department Nurses Association
Jenelle M WeberJanice Penrod

Abstract

Geriatric trauma, mainly as a result of motor vehicle crashes (MVCs), has been a persistent and serious problem for those older than 65 years of age. Because of physiological changes and pre-existing disease, older adults present a unique clinical challenge to emergency nurses and staff. "Are older adults involved in MVCs appropriately assessed and treated?" A review of the research literature, including 17 articles from 2003 to 2009, on the topic of geriatric trauma, specifically trauma that resulted from MVCs will be explored. Four different areas were discussed: (1) the under-detection of geriatric trauma, (2) prehospital triage guidelines, (3)the injury severity score, and (4) common resultant injuries encountered by older adults. Understanding specific patterns of injury in older adults and the geriatric trauma outcomes data is essential to emergency nursing practice. Following this literature review, the emergency nurse will be more comfortable managing the next geriatric patient arriving in the emergency department.

References

Nov 26, 2003·Current Opinion in Critical Care·David G Jacobs
Jan 7, 2006·Journal of Nursing Scholarship : an Official Publication of Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing·Linda J Scheetz
May 30, 2006·Journal of Emergency Nursing : JEN : Official Publication of the Emergency Department Nurses Association·Laura M Criddle
Jun 16, 2006·Journal of Nursing Scholarship : an Official Publication of Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing·Sara F JacobyTherese S Richmond
Sep 12, 2006·Critical Care Nursing Clinics of North America·Hilaire J Thompson, Meg Bourbonniere
Jul 27, 2007·Research in Nursing & Health·Linda J ScheetzJohn E Kolassa

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Citations

Jun 29, 2012·Prehospital Emergency Care : Official Journal of the National Association of EMS Physicians and the National Association of State EMS Directors·Aristithes G DoumourasAvery B Nathens
May 8, 2015·Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research : JSLHR·Angela M DietschNancy Pearl Solomon
Sep 24, 2019·Journal of Emergencies, Trauma, and Shock·Anthony KopatsisChristine Wagner
Jul 25, 2021·Scandinavian Journal of Trauma, Resuscitation and Emergency Medicine·Michael EichingerGeorge Peck

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Related Concepts

Related Feeds

Brain Injury & Trauma

brain injury after impact to the head is due to both immediate mechanical effects and delayed responses of neural tissues.