Improving Outcomes for Elderly Patients Following Emergency Surgery: a Cutting-edge Review

The aim of this review is to explore the consequence of emergency general surgery in the elderly, and to summarise recent developments in the pre-, peri- and postoperative management of these patients, in order to improve outcomes. Preoperatively, accurate risk assessment is vital to ensure the right patients undergo emergency surgery. Perioperatively, there are multiple interventions specific to elderly patients that have been shown to improve outcomes. Postoperatively, elderly patients must be cared more in an appropriate setting in order to avoid failure to rescue and promote return to function. This review of contemporary evidence identifies multiple pre-, peri- and postoperative interventions that can improve outcomes for elderly patients after emergency general surgery. These evidence-based recommendations should help direct care of elderly patients undergoing emergency surgery and foster further quality improvement measures and research investigations.