Acute Care Surgery in Geriatric Patients

This comprehensive text will provide a state-of-the art review of the field of geriatric acute care surgery, reviewing new epidemiology data about risk factors for this type of trauma. Assessment of the geriatric trauma patient is unique, and this population requires special attention. Moreover, geriatric patients often suffer from mild to severe cognitive impairment, cardiovascular, and pulmonary insufficiency, which can complicate trauma. This comorbidity informs the evaluation, diagnosis and management of geriatric trauma and stresses the importance of team-based interprofessional care for affected patients. 

Opening chapters describe general principles of geriatric acute care, the physiology of aging, frailty, injury prevention, and goals of care. The main section of the book presents the latest treatment strategies for traumatic orthopedic, cardiovascular and gastrointestinal trauma, including sepsis, complications and critical care monitoring, before turning to nursing considerations for this ever-growing population. Additional chapters on outcomes and COVID management complete the presentation. 

Providing a concise yet comprehensive summary of the current status of the field that will help guide patient management and stimulate investigative efforts, this text will serve as a very useful resource for physicians, medical students, residents, nurses, therapists, and researchers dealing with, and interested in this challenging type of trauma.

Collin E. M. Brathwaite, MD, MS, FACS, Department of Surgery, NYU Langone Hospital-Long Island, NYU Long Island School of Medicine, Mineola, New York, USA