Neurocognitive sequela of burn injury in the elderly.

Aimalohi Esechie, Anish Bhardwaj, Todd Masel, Mukaila Raji

Journal: Journal of clinical neuroscience : official journal of the Neurosurgical Society of Australasia 2019;59():1-5

PMID: 30401568

Full Text on Elsevier Science View on PubMed

Abstract

Elderly individuals are a fast-rising segment of the US population and are at high risk of permanent disability and premature death secondary to traumatic injuries such as burn injury. The current paper will review the extant literature to understand the prevalence of burn injury in the elderly, the neurocognitive complications unique to the aged that places this cohort at risk, and evidence-based recommendations to reduce the early and late neurocognitive effects of burn injury in the aged. The elderly are a high-risk population for burn injury and its neurological sequela. This risk, at least in part, reflects multiple factors: age-related changes in the central and peripheral nervous system; multiple pre-existing co-morbidities (such as dementia and COPD); polypharmacy; suboptimal social support; and increased susceptibility to hypothermia, burn-related infections, and electrolyte and metabolic dysregulations.

Address: Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, United States.; Department of Neurology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, United States.; Department of Neurology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, United States; Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, United States. Electronic address: [email protected].

DOI: 10.1016/j.jocn.2018.10.089

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MeSH Terms: Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Aging, Burns, Dementia, Evidence-Based Practice, Humans, Neurological Rehabilitation