The Burden of Geriatric Trauma at the University College Hospital, Ibadan Nigeria

BACKGROUND: Geriatric populations presently account for 9% of the world population and this is expected to increase. Injuries to the elderly accounted for 5.8 million accident and emergency visits in the US as well as 4% of patients treated for traumatic injuries in Abuja, Nigeria. Traumatic injury is therefore a major cause of morbidity in the elderly as such the need for the study in our environment. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to review the incidence and types of traumatic injury among the elderly population that presented at the University College Hospital Ibadan and to determine the causes of traumatic injury involving the geriatric age group in our environment. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective hospital-based study involving the records of geriatric patients that presented with traumatic injuries between January 2014 and June 2021 at the geriatric center and the accident and emergency department of the hospital. The record was retrieved from the Total Quality Management Unit of the hospital. RESULTS: Approximately 7.61% of the traumatic injury that presented at the accident and emergency department within the study period involved geriatric patients with a male-to-female ratio of 1:1.08, whereas 0.3% of the patients for inpatient care at the geriatric center had a traumatic injury. Fall was the most common cause of traumatic injury observed and fracture was the most common traumatic injury observed. CONCLUSION: Less than 10% of the patients with the traumatic injury that presented at the University College Hospital Ibadan are in the geriatric age group. Most of the traumatic injury involving geriatric patients in our environment is due to low energy falls and fracture is the most common injury observed with the femur being the most affected bone. Therefore, interventions directed at reducing the incidence of falls in our environment will hopefully help in reducing the incidence of traumatic injuries in older person.