title: Influence of age and anti-platelet/anti-coagulant use on the outcome of elderly patients with fall-related traumatic intracranial hemorrhage.
abstract: Ground-level fall is the most common cause of traumatic intracranial hemorrhage (TICH) in the elderly. Many studies on geriatric TICH have regarded patients aged ≥65 years as a single group, but substantial heterogeneity is likely to exist within this population. Eighty-two elderly patients with fall-related TICH treated in our institution during a 6-year period were stratified into 3 age groups (65-74, 75-84, and ≥85 years), and intergroup differences in the demographics and outcomes at discharge were evaluated. The influence of the use of anti-platelet/anti-coagulant (AP/AC) agent on outcomes was also investigated. Comparison of demographic variables demonstrated significant differences in the frequency of preinjury alcohol consumption and use of AP/AC agents between the 3 groups, indicating that the causes or triggers of fall might be substantially different between the 65-74 years group and the other two groups combined. The frequency of unfavorable outcomes increased with age, and the increase was statistically significant. The 82 patients were divided into two subgroups depending on the use of AP/AC agents. The outcomes of the ≥85 years group taking AP/AC agents were particularly poor compared with those of the ≥85 years group not using AP/AC agents. Advancing age may be associated with unfavorable outcomes in elderly patients with fall-related TICH, and patients aged ≥85 years taking AP/AC have the greatest risk of unfavorable outcomes. Physicians must consider the risk/benefit analysis before prescribing AP/AC agents to patients aged ≥85 years.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Saiseikai Utsunomiya Hospital, Utsunomiya, Tochigi, Japan. ginamasu@aol.com
authors.forename: Joji
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Inamasu
authors.forename: Masashi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nakatsukasa
authors.forename: Takumi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kuramae
authors.forename: Yuh
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nakagawa
authors.forename: Satoru
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Miyatake
authors.forename: Kazuhiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tomiyasu
mesh_terms: D000058:Accidental Falls; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000009:adverse effects*; D000925:Anticoagulants / Q000009:adverse effects*; D020201:Brain Hemorrhage, Traumatic / Q000145:classification / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology*; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D023261:Glasgow Outcome Scale; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors / Q000009:adverse effects*; D020127:Recovery of Function; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
chemical_list: D000925:Anticoagulants; D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors