In the U.S, the geriatric population is the fastest growing age group. By the end of next decade, it will comprise about 20% of the total population (1). Frailty is a major health burden in older people (2,3). It is defined as a condition of reduced resistance to stressors, due to a decline in physiological reserves. Multiple studies have shown that frailty is associated with adverse health outcomes, such as mortality, in-hospital complications, readmissions, and adverse discharge disposition (4,5). The concept of frailty and frailty index has been implemented widely across surgical specialties to predict post-operative outcomes and mortality in aging patients.

Increasing age is a known predictor of morbidity and mortality after a traumatic injury with worst outcomes seen in patients with age greater than 65 years (9). Geriatric trauma patients are a unique cohort of patients who are highly prone to develop decompensated state following the stress of traumatic event leading to adverse outcomes. In a prospective study the primary site demonstrated the presence of frailty syndrome as a better predictor of in-hospital complications and adverse discharge disposition among geriatric trauma patients than age (10,11). Most of the frailty scales that exist are extensive and time consuming and their implementation in geriatric trauma patient is not feasible. To facilitate the clinical implementation of frailty in trauma Belal et al. developed the Trauma Specific Frailty Index (TSFI), which consists of 15 variables that can reliably predict the presence of frailty and pre-frailty syndrome in geriatric trauma patients. This index was based on the Rockwood CSHA frailty, which is based on deficit accumulation. In the prospective validation study of our TSFI, the 15-variable TSFI was an independent predictor adverse discharge disposition (i.e. mortality or discharge to skilled nursing facility) in geriatric trauma patients (12) as well as adverse complications and failure to rescue. Presently, Methodist Dallas Medical Center aims to participate in the large scale prospective multi-institutional validation of TSFI.

In this prospective observational study, MDMC will participate as a site contributing to the multi-center study under the direction of Dr. Bellal at the University of Arizona. At our site, Dr. Amos will serve as site-PI.