Multidimensional Frailty and Traumatic Brain Injury among Older Adults: A Literature Review.
Kathryn Gerber, Evelyn Iriarte, Carmen Josefa Sierra
PMID 38589320WHAT IT FOUND
Frailty predicts worse outcomes after traumatic brain injury in older adults, including higher rates of emotional distress, venous thromboembolism, and functional decline.
A multidimensional assessment of physical, psychological, and social frailty may help clinicians anticipate recovery trajectories.
Key findings
01Frailty is a strong independent predictor of unfavorable long-term functional outcomes and emotional distress following traumatic brain injury in older adults.
02Moderate to severe frailty is associated with increased risks of acute kidney injury, venous thromboembolism, and unplanned events during hospitalization for traumatic brain injury.
03Residential aged care facility residents experience higher rates of furniture-related falls, hemorrhage, and death after traumatic brain injury compared to community-dwelling older adults.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPsWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
Only nine studies were included, limiting the generalizability of the findings. The review excluded gray literature and non-English publications. There is inconsistent use of measurement tools for frailty across the included studies. Most included studies were observational, so causality cannot be determined. The search was limited to PubMed and CINAHL, potentially missing relevant literature from other databases.
Declared interests
No funding was received for the development of this manuscript.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that frailty assessments are standardized or validated for predicting traumatic brain injury outcomes in all clinical settings. The review notes inconsistent measurement tools across studies, and the evidence is derived from a small number of observational studies, so specific cut-off scores or diagnostic criteria for frailty in this context are not established.