High Cost of Trauma Care in the Elderly

Authors:
  • GTGregory A. Timberlake
    Gregory A. Timberlake
  • LRLinda J. Rubino
    Linda J. Rubino
  • MKMorris D. Kerstein
    Morris D. Kerstein
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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.