Category: Geriatrics
Keywords: trauma, geriatric, prehospital, EMS (PubMed Search)
Posted: 10/4/2025 by Robert Flint, MD
(Updated: 12/4/2025)
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Reenforcing the recent pearl on geriatric trauma patient care, here is the National Association EMS Physicians statement on prehospital care.
"EMS clinicians should use age-adjusted, physiologic criteria to guide decisions to transport geriatric trauma patients to the most appropriate level of trauma center available in the community.
Geriatric trauma patients should be promptly evaluated for pain and should receive analgesic interventions in a timely manner. Analgesic medications should be dosed following weight-based guidance and should be administered with consideration of potential drug interactions and age-related changes in drug metabolism and side effects.
EMS clinicians should consult advance care planning documents, e.g., Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST), when available, to guide care in emergency scenarios, including management of traumatic injuries.
While older patients are at higher risk for spinal injuries, including lumbar and cervical spine fractures, traditional spinal motion restriction practices may not be suitable for older patients due to age-related anatomic changes in spinal alignment and increased risk for cutaneous pressure-related injuries. EMS clinicians should exercise judgment to determine when and how to best achieve spinal motion restriction if spinal injury is suspected in geriatric trauma patients."
Haussner, W. K., Breyre, A. M., Bascombe, K., Barrett, W. J., Camacho, M. A., Overton-Harris, P., … Colwell, C. (2025). Prehospital Trauma Compendium: Management of Geriatric Trauma Patients – A Position Statement and Resource Document of NAEMSP. Prehospital Emergency Care, 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1080/10903127.2025.2557006
