Polytrauma in the elderly: predictors of the cause and time of death

Table 3 Patients who died beyond 13 days with an ISS of <16.

Patient Age Yrs	ISS	Predicted Survival	Stay	Cause of Death as per Death Certificate*
38	4	99%	22 days	1a Bilateral PE 1b Antemortem thrombosis of popliteal vein
53	9	98%	21 days	1a Bronchopneumonia 2 Femur fracture, Korsakoffs disease
56	9	97%	34 days	1a Pneumonia 1b Fractured neck fracture 2 Alcohol excess, Epilepsy
62	9	99%	29 days	1a Acute Myocardial infarction 1b Arteriosclerosis 1c Coronary Heart Disease
69	9	98%	15 days	1a Left basal pneumonia 1b COPD
71	9	98%	24 days	1a COPD 1b Bronchopneumonia 1c Pneumothorax 2 Fractured neck of humerus and metatarsal bilaterally
77	9	92%	24 days	1a Bronchopneumonia
78	9	94%	40 days	1a Non Hodgkin's lymphoma
79	9	95%	26 days	1a Left ventricular failure 1b Ischaemic heart disease 2 Sigmoid cancer 2b COPD
84	8	93%	55 days	1a Respiratory failure 1b Pneumonia
87	9	92%	15 days	1a Congestive cardiac failure 1b Bronchopneumonia 1c COPD
90	9	94%	33 days	1a Left ventricular failure 2 Fractured left shaft of femur

*A death certificate in the UK is completed by a medical doctor and has two parts: part 1 being the cause of death which is split into a (1a), being the exact cause, b (1b) the disease that lead to a, and c (1c) the disease that lead to b, part 2 is contributing, but not directly causing death.
COPD = Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

ISSN: 1757-7241