Introduction: Although trauma is often seen in the young, there is a recent shift in this trend as more elderly patients are hospitalised for traumatic injuries. This study examined serious trauma in young and elderly patients and hypothesised that the increase in incidence of elderly serious trauma has led to greater burden of care in hospitals and health services. Materials and Methods: Details of trauma patients admitted with an Injury Severity Score ≥9 or to the intensive care unit or high dependency unit of a tertiary acute hospital between 2004 and 2015 were retrospectively reviewed. Patients ≥65 years old who sustained low-impact trauma that resulted from same-level falls with isolated hip fractures or compression fractures of the vertebral column were excluded. Patients were classified as either elderly (≥65 years old, n = 5074) or young (<65 years old, n = 9088) and their baseline characteristics, complications rate and length of hospital stay were evaluated. Results: Elderly patients ≥65 years old accounted for 51.2% of seriously injured patients after 2014 and their numbers are increasing at an annual rate of 16.5%. They also experienced longer hospital stay in the general ward than younger patients. Conclusion: The number of elderly trauma patients were thrice that of all trauma patients seen and they also required longer hospitalisation. This trend has led to greater burden of care in hospitals and health services in Singapore.
Key words: Burden of care, Length of stay, Resource utilisation, Trend
Dear Editor,Electronic bicycles and scooters-or personal mobility devices (PMDs)-are becoming popular means of commute given their convenience, low cost and ease in obtaining regulatory approval. They have also been successfully marketed as a fun and environment-friendly way to travel. However, the recent surge in PMD-related accidents is cause for concern. Singapore has witnessed a threefold increase in PMD-related accidents between 2016 (n = 46) and 2017 (n = 128). 1 In the first half of 2017, there were 4 mortalities and up to 90 injuries reported. 2 In an effort to regulate the sale and usage of PMDs in the country, the Singapore government passed the Active Mobility Act in January 2017 (Fig. 1). [3][4][5] Since May 2018, the Land
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