Category: Orthopedics
Keywords: Elder abuse, bruising, trauma (PubMed Search)
Posted: 9/26/2020 by Brian Corwell, MD
(Updated: 8/14/2024)
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Physical injury patterns associated with physical elder abuse
Elder abuse is both common and underrecognized
Between 5 and 10% of US older adults are victims of elder abuse annually
For many older adults, contact with a health care provider may represent their only contact outside the home
Differentiating physical elder abuse from unintentional trauma can be very difficult
A recent study compared these two groups with a case-control design
Study cases: 100 successfully prosecuted physical elder abuse cases from a single urban ED
Physical abuse victims were more likely to have:
Bruising (78% vs. 54%)
Injuries to maxillofacial, dental or neck region (67% vs. 28%)
Particularly the LEFT side
Neck injuries 6x more common is assault
Ear injuries occurred in assault but not in falls
Absence of fracture (8% vs. 22%)
Less likely to have lower extremity injuries (9% vs. 41%)
22% of victims had no visible injuries
Most common mechanism assault with hands or fists and pushing or shoving causing a fall
Take home: Consider elder abuse especially in cases of the above red flags
Rosen T, et al. Identifying Injury Patterns Associated With Physical Elder Abuse: Analysis of Legally Adjudicated Cases. Ann Emerg Med. 2020 Sep;76(3):266-276.