الفهرس 
Anesthesia for the elderlyOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
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Abstract
As the populations age the geriatric population grows. Trauma in the elderly is responsible for a significant number of visits to emergency departments and will continue to increase. Knowledge of the physiologic changes associated with aging, the impact of coexistent acute and chronic medical conditions, and an understanding of the unique patterns of injury in geriatric trauma patients is critical to maximizing outcome.
Older patients tend to injure themselves most often after falls. Even falls from standing can result in significant fractures and head injury. Geriatric trauma victims demand aggressive management, a high index of suspicion for occult instability, and a low threshold for laboratory and radiographic investigation to delineate injuries.
Advanced age alone should not be used as the sole criterion for denying or limiting care in these patients. With the exception of patients who are refusing treatment on arrival , if the initial aggressive approach was pursued , the majority will return home and up to 85% will return to independent function..
As for anesthesia of the elderly minimizing perioperative risk in geriatric patients requires thoughtful preoperative assessment of organ function and reserve, meticulous intraoperative management of coexisting disorders and postoperative pain control.
Ultimately, trauma in the elderly should be addressed not just in the emergency department and hospital, but also from a public health perspective with emphasis on services
and prevention. Research that addresses the different presentations, injury patterns, predictors of morbidity and mortality, and public health research on prevention will help further enlighten emergency physicians on how to best treat geriatric trauma patients to help them maintain high
functional status.