Geriatric traumatology (e. g. "Alterstraumatologie") is more than orthogeriatrics-Experiences of a physician in advanced training.

This article reporting the view of an early career physician focuses on the diverse components of orthogeriatric co-management in a clinical setting. Geriatric trauma patients require a multimodal and interdisciplinary management, which includes individual and age-specific aspects, such as intensified physiotherapy, trauma surgery and geriatric expertise as well as social support. In Germany this surgical and geriatric co-treatment is provided by the program geriatric traumatology (Alterstraumatologie), which is implemented and certified at special institutions called geriatric trauma centers (Alters-Trauma-Zentrum). This special care is accomplished by an orthogeriatric co-management, which combines the efforts of both modern state of the art trauma surgery and geriatric medicine, preferable by using the procedure of the so-called geriatric early rehabilitative complex treatment (geriatrische frührehabilitative Komplexbehandlung) according to the diagnosis-related group (DRG) procedure OPS 8550. This is administered in 3 periods: the preoperative period, perioperative period and postoperative period and if indicated followed and completed by a geriatric rehabilitation. According to recent studies this approach has proved to be beneficial especially with respect to a reduction of posttraumatic morbidity rates and avoiding loss of function.

Effect of antithrombotic drugs on bone health.

With the increasing consumption of antithrombotic drugs among old people, expected as well as unexpected side effects on bone health are considerable, e.g. osteoporosis, fragility fractures, etc. This review focuses on antithrombotic drugs and their effects on bone health. The following groups were reviewed: parenteral long-term use of unfractionated heparin (UFH) is associated with osteopenia. The oral intake of vitamin K antagonists (VKA) makes them more convenient than UFH but chronic use also results in osteopenia. Limited reports of bone loss have been associated with low molecular weight heparins (LMWH) and indirect factor Xa inhibitors but in contrast to VKA and UFH they are less associated with osteopenia. There have been limited studies evaluating the effect of new oral anticoagulants (NOACs) on bones. Overall, they are considered safer than other drugs. There have been no reports about acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) and clopidogrel causing osteopenia but their metabolism by the kidneys and liver can cause reduced 25-hydroxy-vitamin D levels and can theoretically contribute to osteoporosis. Some reports suggested that high dosage clopidogrel can also negatively affect bones. After a detailed literature review long-term use of antithrombotic drugs can negatively affect the bones. Their role in bone health needs to be studied in detail and the clinical use in geriatric patients should be prudent.