Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39953387›Full record

ArticleBMC geriatrics2025

Low falls and inpatient complications increase risk for longer length of stay in older persons admitted following trauma.

Christopher J Emmett, Wen Kwang Lim, Alyssa Griffiths, Rachel Aitken, David J Read, Katherine Gregorevic

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In one paragraph

Article in BMC geriatrics, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

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Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Christopher J EmmettDepartment of Aged Care, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia. cemmett@phcn.vic.gov.au.
Wen Kwang LimDepartment of Aged Care, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia.
Alyssa GriffithsDepartment of Aged Care, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia.
Rachel AitkenDepartment of Aged Care, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia.
David J ReadDepartment of Trauma Services, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia.
Katherine GregorevicDepartment of Aged Care, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundOlder adults make up 33% of all trauma admissions in Australia despite comprising 17% of the population with rates rising faster for older age groups compared to any other age group. A high proportion of older adults admitted to hospital following trauma are frail and have increased rates of hospital acquired complications, resulting in poorer outcomes as well as increased resource utilisation and cost to the healthcare system. Length of Stay (LOS) is an important outcome for hospitals, contributing to resource utilisation and patient flow. This study aimed to determine factors associated with the primary outcome of LOS in older persons admitted with trauma at a major trauma centre as targets for improvement.

methodsEthics approval was obtained to collect data on all adult trauma admissions ≥ 1 day in patients aged 65 years and over. Patients were included in the Trauma in older persons (TOPS) database if they otherwise met criteria for the pre-existing trauma registry maintained by the hospital's trauma service. Admissions between January 2022 and January 2023 were included. Univariable negative binomial regression identified variables associated with LOS with p-values ≤ 0.1 which were then included in a multivariable regression model. Significance was taken as p-value ≤ 0.05.

results1250 admissions ≥ 1 day and alive at discharge were included in the primary analysis. The median LOS was 7 (4-13) days. In the multivariable model, delirium (Incidence Rate Ratio (IRR) = 1.41, 95%CI = 1.25-1.59), inpatient fall (IRR = 1.46, 95%CI = 1.15-1.86), pneumonia (IRR = 1.28, 95%CI = 1.08-1.53), thromboembolism (IRR = 1.43, 95%CI = 1.05-1.96), blood transfusion (IRR = 1.34, 95%CI = 1.17-1.53) and unplanned intensive care admission (IRR = 1.52, 95%CI = 1.08-2.14) were all associated with increased LOS. Low fall mechanism was high risk for longer LOS (IRR = 1.26, 95%CI = 1.11-1.43).

conclusionsAfter controlling for available factors, inpatient complications and patients admitted following low falls were identified as high risk for increased LOS and may represent areas for targeted quality improvement for older adults admitted following trauma.

Indexed as

Accidental FallsLength of StayWounds and InjuriesAgedAged, 80 and overAustraliaFemaleHospitalizationHumansInpatientsMaleRetrospective StudiesRisk FactorsTrauma CentersFallsGeriatric traumaHospital acquired complicationsLength of stayLow fall

Identifiers

PMID39953387
PMCPMC11829348

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.