Geriatric Trauma/ACS Committee

According to the US Census Bureau, the number of individuals aged 65 and older (who in 2006 totaled 35 million) will increase to 70 million by 2030 and to more than 86 million, or 1 in five persons, by 2050 (1-4).

Our current geriatric population has fewer disabilities and more active lifestyles than previous generations, which increases their risk of injury. In 1990, it was estimated that by 2050, 40 percent of all trauma patients would be 65 years old or older (5). The true number is likely to be higher as some major trauma centers have already exceed that figure (6). Trauma in the elderly accounts for $12 billion in annual medical expenditures and $25 billion in total annual healthcare expenditures (7). In emergency general surgery practices, the increasing geriatric and elderly population constitutes a significant proportion of the admissions and operative procedures and a disproportionate rate of complications and mortality risk (8,9). This changing landscape presents a huge challenge to acute care surgeons everywhere.

The mission of the Geriatric Trauma Committee is to advance the care of elderly patients with acute surgical illness and injury through research, education, and advocacy. Our work products have been designed to directly address the priorities of not only of the committee’s mission, but also those laid out in the AAST Strategic Plan.

• Work collaboratively with all professional societies and organizations interested in the well-being and care of the elderly.
   
• Develop a research agenda that supports the mission.
   
• Educate providers about the physiologic and anatomic changes that affect the well-being of the elderly, specifically as they relate to injury incidence and recovery, and develop evidence-based guidelines for common injuries and acute surgical illnesses that affect the well-being of the elderly and that promote maximal functional recovery of the elderly.
   
• Educate the public about the most common causes of injury and acute surgical illness in the elderly.
   
• Promote injury prevention measures specific to the elderly.