Even a relatively small burn may be associated with a poor outcome for an older adult if certain risk factors are present.
Factors impacting the prognosis for an older adult with burn injury:
(1) depth and extent of the burn injury
(2) number of serious comorbid conditions
(3) frailty
(4) smoke inhalation
(5) presence of risk factors for infection
(6) problems associated with skin and subcutaneous tissue (senile degeneration, edema, pressure ulcerations)
(7) poor mobility prior to the burn injury
(8) impaired judgment prior to the burn injury
(9) malnutrition prior to the burn injury
Serious complications for an older adult following a burn may include:
(1) hypovolemic shock
(2) pneumonia
(3) multi-organ failure (MOF)
To read more or access our algorithms and calculators, please log in or register.
Specialty: Emergency Medicine, Critical Care
