Urgent Bite 282 - Head injuries in the elderly

Dame Jilly Cooper died of an acute subdural haematoma, following a fall.   Pathways for CT head in adults exist to guide us in determining who needs a CT, but we must not forget the importance of safety netting all elderly people after head injury and to consider measures to prevent patients sustaining head injuries in the first place.   Check out the papers mentioned.   Evans LR, Jones J, Lee HQ, Gantner D, Jaison A, Matthew J, Fitzgerald MC, Rosenfeld JV, Hunn MK, Tee JW. Prognosis of Acute Subdural Hematoma in the Elderly: A Systematic Review. J Neurotrauma. 2019 Feb 15;36(4):517-522. doi: 10.1089/neu.2018.5829. Epub 2018 Aug 14. PMID: 29943683. Link Manivannan S, Spencer R, Marei O, Mayo I, Elalfy O, Martin J, Zaben M. Acute subdural haematoma in the elderly: to operate or not to operate? A systematic review and meta-analysis of outcomes following surgery. BMJ Open. 2021 Dec 3;11(12):e050786. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2021-050786. PMID: 34862284; PMCID: PMC8647543. Link  Kuhn EN, Erwood MS, Oster RA, Davis MC, Zeiger HE, Pittman BC, Fisher WS 3rd. Outcomes of Subdural Hematoma in the Elderly with a History of Minor or No Previous Trauma. World Neurosurg. 2018 Nov;119:e374-e382. doi: 10.1016/j.wneu.2018.07.168. Epub 2018 Jul 30. PMID: 30071339. Link MdCalc Canadian CT Head tool   BBC Article about Dame Jilly Cooper   www.rnzcuc.org.nz [email protected] https://www.facebook.com/rnzcuc https://twitter.com/rnzcuc   Music licensed from www.premiumbeat.com Full Grip by Score Squad   This podcast is intended to assist in ongoing medical education and peer discussion for qualified health professionals.  Please ensure you work within your scope of practice at all times.  For personal medical advice, always consult your usual doctor