Epidemiology, Assessment, and Presentation of an Elderly...

As technology advances and medical aid becomes readily available it is no wonder that the elderly within our communities are living longer. Unfortunately this poses a serious issue for health professionals as elderly are becoming more prevalently injured, presenting with complications of higher severity than their younger counterparts (Ng et al., 2002). This essay will discuss the epidemiology, assessment and presentation of an elderly patient suffering from a traumatic injury. It will also examine the considerations specific to the elderly in terms of management, and ethical and cultural differences. As we grow older our susceptibility to a traumatic incident increases dramatically (Chan, Moran, Clarke, Martin, Solomon, 2009). Elderly†¦show more content†¦Also their ability to compensate is short lived, with each year increase in age from 65 years resulting is a 6% increase in likelihood of death from injury (O’Neill, Brady, Kerssens, Parks, 2012). When it comes to the elderly patient there are three particular challenges that all health professionals should take into consideration; co-morbidities, polypharmacy and blunted compensatory mechanisms (PHTLS, 2011). Co-morbidities are important to consider as an existing medical condition may alter the vital signs you measure. Polypharmacy is particularly important especially if the medications the patient is on could render them unable to compensate appropriately or if you need to administer other medication/fluids. Lastly and possibly most important in trauma is blunted compensatory mechanisms. The elderly are unable to compensate in the way adults are able to which makes them vulnerable when injured (PHTLS, 2011). They do not react the way in which you would expect, meaning you should take extra care when dealing the elderly as their condition can be extremely unpredictable. Any trauma incident begins with an assessment of the scene and determination of the degree of severity of the situation a t hand. In RTC this is of great importance as the higher the speed the vehicles were travelling at, the worse condition the patient could be in. Upon greeting the patient it is important to put them at ease and explain your assessment as you go. It is commonShow MoreRelatedMedical Imaging Of Traumatic Brain Injuries Essay1520 Words   |  7 PagesMedical Imaging of Traumatic Brain Injuries INTRODUCTION Traumatic brain injuries (TBI) consist of pathological intracranial features of alteration in brain function cause by an outside force. TBI’s have plagued emergency rooms in recent years. TBI’s are the number one cause for death and disability in American youth and young adults. The drastic increase in TBI prognosis has been credited to reasons such as; increased competitiveness in sports, increased speeds of automobiles and/or speed limitsRead MoreImaging Of Traumatic Brain Injuries Essay1585 Words   |  7 PagesImaging of Traumatic Brain Injuries: An Investigative Report INTRODUCTION Traumatic brain injuries (TBI) consist of pathological intracranial characteristics of altered brain function cause by an outside force. TBI’s have plagued emergency rooms in recent years. TBI’s are the number one cause for death and disability in American youth and young adults. The drastic increase in TBI prognosis has been credited for reasons such as; increased competitiveness in sports, increased speeds of automobilesRead MoreMedical Management Of Traumatic Brain Injuries3402 Words   |  14 PagesManagement of Traumatic Brain Injuries: A Case Study Jennifer Buechler University of San Diego The Medical Management of Traumatic Brain Injuries: A Case Study Introduction Traumatic brain injury, or TBI, occurs when there is a sudden, direct injury to the head. This type of wound can result from a bump, blow, or jolt to the cranium. It may even result from the penetration of a foreign object into the brain tissue. Most TBI’s result from car accidents, sports injuries, blunt trauma