Dental trauma and trauma to the face are among the most frequent injuries suffered by elderly victims of abuse, according to a study presented today at the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) annual meeting in Chicago.
Unfortunately, only 2% of physical elder abuse is reported by clinicians, according to lead researcher Kieran Murphy, MD, interim radiologist-in-chief at University Health Network in Toronto.
"Unlike cases of child abuse, there is very little information available on this subject," Dr. Murphy stated in an RSNA press release. "It's a much neglected area."
To aid radiologists in identifying potential cases of elder abuse, Dr. Murphy conducted a literature review and searched databases for elder abuse cases to locate radiologic evidence of the types of injuries found in abuse victims older than age 60. An analysis of more than 1,100 cases revealed that the most frequent injuries among abused elderly were physical trauma to the face, dental trauma, subdural hematoma, eye and larynx trauma, rib fractures, and upper extremity injuries.
The analysis also revealed that elderly victims of abuse were most often in a home setting being cared for by nonprofessionals.
Compared with older adults who were accidentally injured, the abused elderly patients were more likely to have brain, head, and neck injuries. Autopsy studies revealed that subdural hemorrhages were the cause of death in one-third of elder abuse cases.
"Radiologists need to be aware of the pattern of injuries frequently seen in the abused elderly," Dr. Murphy said. "More importantly, we need to integrate the physical and radiological findings with the social context of the patient to help identify those at risk."
