title: Bleeding sites in elderly trauma patients who required massive transfusion: a comparison with younger patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Among elderly patients with severe trauma, the sites of massive hemorrhage and their clinical characteristics are not well understood. Therefore, we investigated the sites of massive hemorrhage in patients with severe trauma, and compared the results for younger and elderly patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cohort of severe trauma patients (Injury Severity Score ≥16) admitted from March 2007 to December 2014 was reviewed retrospectively. The inclusion criterion was massive bleeding, which was defined as bleeding that required the transfusion of ≥10 red cell concentrate units within 24 hours of admission, or as cases of early death that occurred despite continuous blood transfusion and before the patient could receive ≥10 red cell concentrate units within the first 24 hours after their admission.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eighty-four patients met our inclusion criterion. The younger group (<65 years old) included 40 patients (48%), whereas the older group (≥65 years old) included 44 patients (52%). The percentage of nondiagnosable cases at the primary survey (massive bleeding due to multisite damage caused by a bone fracture or contusion, retroperitoneal hematoma without a pelvic ring fracture and with stable pelvic ring fracture) was 14% in the younger group and 40% in the older group (odds ratio, 3.92; 95% confidence interval, 1.37-11.27, P = .017).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Even if no abnormalities are observed at the primary survey of elderly patients with severe trauma, physicians should consider the possibility of massive bleeding.
authors.affiliation: Emergency & Critical Care Center, Kochi Health Sciences Center, 2125-1, IKe, Kochi, Japan, 781-8555. Electronic address: takao771577157715@yahoo.co.jp.
authors.forename: Takao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ohmori
authors.affiliation: Emergency & Critical Care Center, Kochi Health Sciences Center, 2125-1, IKe, Kochi, Japan, 781-8555.
authors.forename: Taisuke
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kitamura
authors.affiliation: Emergency & Critical Care Center, Kochi Health Sciences Center, 2125-1, IKe, Kochi, Japan, 781-8555.
authors.forename: Kimiaki
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.affiliation: Emergency & Critical Care Center, Kochi Health Sciences Center, 2125-1, IKe, Kochi, Japan, 781-8555.
authors.forename: Yuichi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Saisaka
authors.affiliation: Emergency & Critical Care Center, Kochi Health Sciences Center, 2125-1, IKe, Kochi, Japan, 781-8555.
authors.forename: Junko
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ishihara
authors.affiliation: Emergency & Critical Care Center, Kochi Health Sciences Center, 2125-1, IKe, Kochi, Japan, 781-8555.
authors.forename: Hirokazu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Onishi
authors.affiliation: Emergency & Critical Care Center, Kochi Health Sciences Center, 2125-1, IKe, Kochi, Japan, 781-8555.
authors.forename: Tsuyoshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nojima
authors.affiliation: Emergency & Critical Care Center, Kochi Health Sciences Center, 2125-1, IKe, Kochi, Japan, 781-8555.
authors.forename: Kotaro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Kochi Health Sciences Center, 2125-1, IKe, Kochi, Japan, 781-8555.
authors.forename: Toshiyuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Matsumoto
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Kochi Health Sciences Center, 2125-1, IKe, Kochi, Japan, 781-8555.
authors.forename: Takamitsu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tokioka
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001803:Blood Transfusion / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006470:Hemorrhage / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D015601:Injury Severity Score; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012042:Registries; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000150:complications*