LAUSR

et present a high-quality and nicely written study that examines whether the 30-day and 1-year mortality of more than 430000 injured trauma patients aged 66 years or older is associated with the treating hospital’s trauma center level. This prospective cohort study uses observational methods to examine Medicare claims from 2013 to 2016. The analyses are sophisticated and thorough. Results led to the conclusion that older adults do not benefit from existing trauma center care as younger patients do. The authors further postulate that there is a critical need to improve trauma care practices to address common injury mechanisms and types in older adults. Although these results and conclusions are certainly plausible, some factors that may affect and potentially modify them need to be considered.