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A Prospective Comparison of Frailty Scores and Fall Prediction in Acutely Injured Older Adults
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

A Prospective Comparison of Frailty Scores and Fall Prediction in Acutely Injured Older Adults

Shawn Tejiram, Julia Cartwright, Sandra L. Taylor, Victor H. Hatcher, Colette Galet, Dionne A. Skeete and Kathleen S. Romanowski
The Journal of surgical research, Vol.257, pp.326-332
01/2021
DOI: 10.1016/j.jss.2020.08.007
PMCID: PMC7736528
PMID: 32889331
url
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/7736528View
Open Access

Abstract

Elderly (65 and older) fall-related injuries are a significant cause of morbidity and mortality. Although frailty predicts poor outcomes in geriatric trauma, literature comparing frailty scoring systems remains limited. Herein, we evaluated which frailty scoring system best predicts falls over time in the elderly. Acute surgical patients 65 y and older were enrolled and prospectively observed. Demographics and frailty, assessed using the FRAIL Scale, Trauma Specific Frailty Index (TSFI), and Canadian Frailty Scale (CSHA-CFS), were collected at enrollment and 3 mo intervals following discharge for 1 y. Surveys queried the total number and timing of falls. Changes in frailty over time were assessed by logistic regression and area under the curve (AUC). Fifty-eight patients were enrolled. FRAIL Scale and CSHA-CFS scores did not change over time, but TSFI scores did (P ≤ 0.01). Worsening frailty was observed using TSFI at 6 (P ≤ 0.01) and 12 mo (P ≤ 0.01) relative to baseline. Mortality did not differ based on frailty using any frailty score. Increasing frailty scores and time postdischarge was associated with increased odds of a fall. AUC estimates with 95% CI were 0.72 [0.64, 0.80], 0.81 [0.74, 0.88], and 0.76 [0.68, 0.84] for the FRAIL Scale, TSFI, and CSHA-CFS, respectively. The risk of falls postdischarge were associated with increased age, time postdischarge, and frailty in our population. No scale appeared to significantly outperform the other by AUC estimation. Further study on the longitudinal effects of frailty is warranted. •No difference in mortality was observed between frail and nonfrail patients.•Worsening frailty over time was only observed with TSFI.•Higher age, time postdischarge, and frailty are associated with fall risk.•No scale significantly outperformed the other based on AUC estimation.
Elderly Frailty Geriatric Trauma

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