Contemplation.

Description Before embarking on a busy workday, take a moment to appreciate the sunrise. Living near the beach is a privilege that reminds me that you can find the calm necessary to face the demands of your role as a division research director through a few minutes of meditation during your commute. The footprints in the sand symbolize the work accomplished with residents, faculty, and staff the previous day. The pier represents the strength of remaining stable even amidst turbulent waves, which symbolize the ever-changing requests and priorities. The rising sun embodies self-energy and excitement for another day, knowing that "above all else, we are committed to the care and improvement of human life," which makes it all worthwhile. Take a deep breath in and exhale.

Trauma Recidivism in an Aging Population: Who Is Most at Risk?

Background: Repeated episodes of trauma, particularly in older adults, result in increased morbidity and mortality. This study investigates trauma recidivism in our adult population to identify which patients in our region are more likely to become recidivists. Materials and Methods: This 4 year retrospective study (2013 to 2017) examines all patients 18 years of age or older with multiple hospital admissions for trauma, comparing patients ages 65 and older (older adults) to those ages 18 to 64 (younger adults). Exclusion criteria consisted of those younger than 18 and/or had a home zip code outside of the study region. Data included admission demographics, injury characteristics and other clinical metrics. Results: There were 240 younger adult and 182 older adult trauma recidivists included. In total, 4% of all patients were recidivists with significantly higher rates of recidivism among older adults (OR: 1.94 [1.59-2.36], p <0.001). Older adult recidivists were more likely to be female (OR: 4.28 [2.82-6.51], p <0.001) and suffer blunt trauma secondary to a fall (OR: 5.36 [3.91-7.35], p <0.001). Trauma recidivism in older adults also correlated with a higher Injury Severity Score, longer length of stay and an increased proportion of patients requiring to be discharged home with organizational help or to a rehabilitation facility. Conclusions: Trauma can be recurrent and associated with poor health outcomes, particularly in older adults. Recidivists in the studied region were significantly older with the most at-risk population consisting of females suffering blunt injury secondary to a fall. Improved prevention strategies are needed for this population.