Background: Demand on the health system is increasing, partly attributable to the ageing population. This study aimed to measure the burden of trauma-related ambulance attendances in older persons in Queensland, to better understand demographic, clinical and injury characteristics/outcomes of this cohort.
Method: Data on trauma in persons aged 65+yrs attended by ambulance in Queensland from 2018–2022 were extracted and linked with Emergency Department (ED), Hospital Admission and Death data.
Results: Over 5yrs, there were an estimated 265,000 trauma-related ambulance attendances annually; one-third occurred in older persons. Â Incidence increased significantly with age (per 1,000 population pa, <64yrs IR:41; 65-74yrs IR:52; 75-84yrs IR:124; 85+yrs:324), representing 68, 87 and 83 daily attendances (respectively). One-third (77 per day) of calls for trauma in older persons were dispatched as a lights+sirens response, and 78% resulted in transportation to hospital. Thirty percent of trauma-related ambulance attendances (code 1: 35%; code 2: 27%) resulted in hospital admission, and 8% died within 12 months of the injury (code 1: 7%; code 2: 9%). During 2022, 45% of older persons with trauma were identified as vulnerable and 20% as seriously frail by the Clinical Frailty Score.
Conclusion: These findings highlight the disproportionate burden of trauma in older persons, for whom the consequences of even a relatively minor injury can be serious. It is imperative that prehospital/emergency services, along with the health system, are responsive, flexible, and well-positioned to provide high quality patient-centred care to reduce the impact of trauma on this vulnerable cohort, and the broader health system.