title: Neurological outcomes of neurosurgical operations for multiple trauma elderly patients in Hong Kong.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We aimed to investigate neurological outcomes in elderly patients with multiple trauma, and to review their clinical outcomes following neurosurgical operations.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was conducted in a regional trauma center in Hong Kong. We collected prospective data on consecutive trauma patients from January 2001 to December 2008. Patients with multiple trauma (as defined by Injury Severity Score of 15 or more), with both head injury and extracranial injury, were included for analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Age over 65 years, admission Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), and Injury Severity Score were significantly poor prognostic factors in logistic regression analysis. Eleven (32%) of the 34 patients aged over 65 who underwent neurosurgical operations attained favorable neurological outcomes (GCS 4-5) at 6 months.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Age was an important prognostic factor in multiple trauma patients requiring neurosurgical operations. Future randomized controlled clinical trials should be designed to recruit elderly patients (such as age between 65 and 75 years) at clinical equipoise for traumatic hematoma (such as subdural hematoma or traumatic intracerebral hematoma) evacuation and assess the quality of life, neurological, and cognitive outcomes.
authors: Department of Surgery, Division of Neurosurgery, Prince of Wales Hospital, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, NT, Hong Kong.
authors: George K C
authors: GK
authors: Wong
authors: Colin A
authors: CA
authors: Graham
authors: Elsie
authors: E
authors: Ng
authors: Janice H H
authors: JH
authors: Yeung
authors: Timothy H
authors: TH
authors: Rainer
authors: Wai S
authors: WS
authors: Poon