Thoracoabdominal injuries in the elderly: 25 years of experience.

Background: The present study was conducted to determine the clinical characteristics and outcome of hospitalized elderly patients with thoracic and thoracoabdominal injuries.

Method: This is a longitudinal, nonblinded study using established standard of care of patients with penetrating and blunt chest trauma. From April 1972 to August 1997, 5,702 patients were hospitalized for chest injuries.