Logo image
Back
Growing problem: frailty in midlife adult trauma patients in the USA
Journal article   Peer reviewed

Growing problem: frailty in midlife adult trauma patients in the USA

Colleen Bloeser, Jacklyn Maye Engelbart, Patrick Ten Eyck, James C Torner, Colette Galet and Dionne A Skeete
Injury prevention, Vol.32(5), pp.740-744
01/07/2025
DOI: 10.1136/ip-2024-045436
PMCID: PMC12641544
PMID: 39773853

View Online

Abstract

Unintentional falls are the greatest cause of injury-related hospitalisation in adult patients. Frailty is an important contributor to fall risk and poor outcomes in both midlife and older adult trauma patients. Despite this, the incidence of frailty remains understudied among midlife adults, and the CDC fall screening guidelines are limited to older adults. Here, we assessed the incidence of frailty among midlife and older trauma patients in the USA. This was a retrospective study using the Trauma Quality Improvement Program database in midlife (aged 50-64 years) and older adult (aged 65 years and older) trauma patients from 2012 to 2021. Frailty was assessed using the five-item Modified Frailty Index. The adjusted change of frailty incidence over the study period was evaluated via Poisson regression. Frailty incidence in midlife trauma patients rose from 2.4% in 2012 to 5.1% in 2021. The adjusted annual incidence rate ratio (IRR) for midlife frailty was 1.08 (95% CI 1.08, 1.09). Among older adult patients, frailty incidence rose from 6.4% to 14.7%, with an adjusted annual frailty IRR of 1.10 (95% CI 1.10, 1.10). Frailty is rising in both the midlife and older adult populations, indicating that these groups present increasing risk for unintentional falls and further morbidity and mortality. This underscores the necessity of fall screening in both midlife and older adult patients alongside further explorations into methods to delay the onset of frailty.
 Epidemiology Older People Trauma Systems

Details

Metrics

17 Record Views
Logo image