Articles: patients.
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Scand J Trauma Resus · Feb 2015
EditorialEmergency surgery in the elderly: the balance between function, frailty, fatality and futility.
Becoming old is considered a privilege and results from the socioeconomic progress and improvements in health care systems worldwide. However, morbidity and mortality increases with age, and even more so in acute onset disease. With the current prospects of longevity, a considerable number of elderly patients will continue to live with good function and excellent quality of life after emergency surgical care. ⋯ Add in the onset of the acute surgical disease as a further potential detrimental factor on function and quality of life - and you have a perfect storm to handle. In this brief review, some of the challenging aspects related to emergency surgery in the elderly will be discussed. More research, including registries and trials, are needed for improved knowledge to a growing health care challenge.