Department of General Surgery, Manchester Royal Infirmary, Manchester, UK.
Gerodontology. 2012 Jun;29(2):e147-9. doi: 10.1111/j.1741-2358.2010.00431.x. Epub 2011 Aug 31.
The elderly represent an increasing proportion of society. Management of maxillofacial trauma in this population may be complicated by coexisting medical conditions, requiring multi-disciplinary care.
This retrospective audit assesses the incidence and pattern of maxillofacial trauma in elderly patients (≥60 years) presented to the Merseyside Regional Maxillofacial Unit. Over the time period of 2003, 2004 and 2005, 7905 trauma patients presented to the accident and emergency department, of whom 757 were elderly (10%).
Results indicated that the male to female ratio was 1:1.4. The commonest cause of injury was a fall (83%) followed by an assault (6%); the majority of falls occurring in the home.
Management of maxillofacial injuries in this population should focus on targeted prevention programmes, which address known risk factors for falling. We believe that this is a public health issue. Members of the maxillofacial team should be aware of common risk factors of falls in elderly. Better collaboration with the Medicine for Elderly team should be considered at an early stage on managing these patients.
老年人在社会中所占比例越来越大。由于存在并存的医疗状况，此类人群的颌面外伤管理可能变得复杂，需要多学科护理。
本回顾性审计评估了 2003 年、2004 年和 2005 年期间在默西塞德地区颌面外科就诊的老年（≥60 岁）患者颌面外伤的发生率和模式。在事故和急诊部门就诊的 7905 例创伤患者中，有 757 例（10%）为老年人。
结果表明，男女比例为 1:1.4。受伤最常见的原因是跌倒（83%），其次是袭击（6%）；大多数跌倒发生在家里。
应对这一人群的颌面损伤管理应侧重于有针对性的预防方案，以解决已知的跌倒风险因素。我们认为这是一个公共卫生问题。颌面外科团队的成员应该意识到老年人跌倒的常见风险因素。在治疗这些患者时，应尽早考虑与老年医学团队更好地合作。
