Are There Any Differences in Road Traffic Injury Outcomes between Older and Younger Adults? Setting the Grounds for Posttraumatic Senior Personal Injury Assessment Guidelines

Abstract

Injury outcomes seem to be more severe in older than younger persons. This may make personal injury assessment (PIA) particularly difficult, mainly because of seniors’ previous health frailties. To set the grounds for seniors’ PIA guidelines, we compared an older with a younger adult population of trauma victims and, secondarily, identified differences between the groups regarding three-dimensional and medico-legal damage parameters assessment. Using a retrospective study of victims of road traffic accidents, we compared the groups (n = 239 each), assuring similar acute injury severity (ISS standardised difference = 0.01): G1 (older adults); G2 (younger adults). Logistic regression was used to estimate the odds ratio. G1 revealed higher negative consequences when considering the three-dimensional damage assessment, with more frequent and severe outcomes, being a cause of further difficulties in daily living activities, with a loss of independence and autonomy. Nevertheless, regarding the medico-legal damage parameters, permanent functional disability did not show significant differences. This study generates evidence that reveals the need to rethink the traditional methodology of PIA in older persons, giving more relevance to the real-life contexts of each person. It is essential to: obtain complete information about previous physiologic and health states, begin the medico-legal assessment as early as possible, make regular follow-ups, and perform a multidisciplinary evaluation.

Health Conditions in Older Adults Suspected of Being Maltreated: A 20-Year Real-World Study

“…It is known that the progressive loss of cognitive abilities associated with ageing is explained by several factors, including changes in brain plasticity [ 20 ]. Furthermore, OAM is a traumatic event that can trigger or accelerate senile evolution due to decreased neurocognitive adaptation capacity.…”

“…Consequently, cognitive changes such as impaired consciousness, confusion, altered attention, memory, thought, and perception may appear [ 46 ]. These changes can also trigger neuropsychological dysfunction, which may progress to pseudodementia or dementia, and reveal previously unknown mental health disorders [ 20 , 46 , 47 ], as well as maltreatment cases.…”

“…Furthermore, older individuals are experiencing the ageing process, which is associated with a progressive reduction in functional physiological reserves leads and deterioration of multiple body systems; therefore, these individuals have a low resistance to stressors, an increase in vulnerability, and a worsened response to adverse events, which is also associated with several health disorders [ 20 ].…”