Frailty and Prognostication in Geriatric Surgery and Trauma

Abstract

Frailty is a predominant predictor of poor outcomes in older populations. This article presents a review of the concept of frailty and its role for prognostication among geriatric trauma and surgery patients. We discuss models of frailty defined in the scientific literature, emphasizing that frailty is a process of biologic aging. We emphasize the importance of screening, assessment, and inclusion of frailty indices for the development and use of prognostication instruments/tools in the population of interest. Finally, we discuss best practices for the delivery of prognostic information in acute care settings and specific recommendations for trauma and surgical care settings.

Keywords: Cognitive frailty; Frailty; Frailty screening; Geriatric surgery; Geriatric trauma; Intrinsic capacity; Physical frailty; Prognostication.