Anticoagulation and injurious falls in the elderly: a review

AbstractThe proportion of elderly people in the Western population is projected to reach 25  % by 2040. Trauma is the fifth most common cause of mortality in this patient population, predominantly due to traumatic brain injury (TBI). This paper will review the current knowledge relating to fall-related mortality as a result of TBI in elderly patients on oral anticoagulation (OAC). The lit erature suggests that age is an independent significant determinant of mortality risk, and the use of warfarin is also associated with increased relative risk of TBI-related mortality. However, some studies have reported that anticoagulant use does not adversely affect the outcomes of severe head in juries after a fall in elderly patients.
Source: European Orthopaedics and Traumatology - Category: Orthopaedics Source Type: research