Opvang van ouderen met traumatisch letsel

The incidence of older adults with traumatic injuries is expected to increase markedly in the coming years with the aging of the population. Clinical decision-making for these patients requires a holistic perspective that takes into account frailty and individual patient preferences. In trauma care, the ABCDE protocol as described in ATLS has been used for decades and is regarded as the international gold standard for the assessment and management of trauma patients. The ABCDE approach has undeniably contributed to significant improvements in trauma care and patient outcomes. In this article, however, we propose a trauma geriatrics–specific acronym: ABCDE-FG. During the secondary survey (after stabilization of life-threatening injuries) attention should be given to two additional dimensions: Frailty (F) and Goals of care (G). This approach aims to minimize overdiagnosis and overtreatment and to ensure that care truly aligns with the patient’s values and preferences.

Conflict of interest and financial support: potential conflicts of interest have been reported for this article. ICMJE forms provided by the authors are available online along with the full text of this article.