Considered independently, these data are insufficient to allow withdrawal of care, but this information may be a useful component to help in guiding families faced with difficult decisions after geriatric trauma.

Overall trauma-related mortality is higher in elderly patients with RIBFs than younger patients with RIBFs. Mortality rates rise with increasing number of RIBFs. The number of RIBFs is easy to quantify and may be a useful predictor of overall injury severity and outcome for elderly trauma patients.