Study: EMS less likely to bring elderly to trauma centers

For reasons that aren't clear, it seems that emergency medical services workers may be substantially less likely to bring elderly trauma patients to a trauma center, according to findings from a new study. The study, which was written up for this month's Archives of Surgery issue, examined 10 years of data from Maryland's Ambulance Information System, identifying 26,565 patients meeting trauma criteria established by the American College of Surgeons. The researchers also surveyed EMS and trauma-center personnel between 2004 and 2006, after sharing the registry data with them.

The analysis concluded that of the 26,565 trauma patients, 49.9 percent of those older than 65 were undertriaged or not taken to a state-designated trauma center, as compared with 17.8 percent of younger patients. The analysis also concluded that a patient's being 65 or older was associated with a 52 percent reduction in the odds of their being taken to a trauma center. 

To learn more about the study:
- read this Modern Healthcare piece (reg. req.)

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