Trauma remains one of the leading causes of death and disability in the United States. When considering people of all ages, traumatic injury ranks as the fifth leading cause of death. Overall, the prevalence of injury‐related death is estimated at 37 per 100,000 people. For the elderly (<65 years), traumatic injury is the ninth leading cause of death with an injury‐related death rate of 95 per 100,000 people 65 years and older. Although only constituting 12% of the population, elderly trauma accounts for nearly 23% of all trauma admissions and one third of all injury‐related deaths. Despite being injured less frequently than their younger counterparts, the elderly are at higher risk to suffer fatal injury or an injury requiring hospitalization. Elderly individuals who suffer nonfatal injuries are at an increased risk for complications and permanent loss of independent function. These differences are generally attributed to the normal aging process, resulting in a progressive loss of...
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Rogaczewski, A.L., Webb, T.P. (2008). Traumatic Injury. In: Loue, S.J., Sajatovic, M. (eds) Encyclopedia of Aging and Public Health. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-33754-8_430
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-33754-8_430
Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA
Print ISBN: 978-0-387-33753-1
Online ISBN: 978-0-387-33754-8
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