Application of Trauma Scores and Scales-Handout: LIFT Score

Handout: LIFT Score

Pdf Summary

The Low Injury Severity and Frailty in Trauma (LIFT) score is designed to enhance the care of elderly trauma patients, particularly those aged 75 and older, by integrating frailty assessments with traditional injury severity measurements. The LIFT score aims to predict outcomes more accurately in this demographic, addressing the limitations of existing methods like the Injury Severity Score (ISS), which primarily focuses on the extent of physical injuries.<br /><br />The score highlights frailty as a crucial factor in recovery and survival, acknowledging that pre-existing health conditions, such as hypertension and diabetes, significantly influence trauma outcomes. It incorporates assessments of injury severity (typically low, with an ISS of 9-15), frailty, age, and pre-existing health conditions. The frailty component is evaluated using validated scales such as the Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS) and the Frailty Index, which consider factors like weight loss, physical activity, cognitive function, and comorbidities.<br /><br />The LIFT score is significant because minor injuries can have serious repercussions in frail individuals, leading to complications, prolonged recovery, or increased mortality risk. Implementing the score allows clinicians to tailor intervention strategies more effectively, decide on intensive care needs, and plan discharge processes, optimizing recovery and reducing complications.<br /><br />In practical terms, documentation of the LIFT score aids trauma programs in maintaining high standards of patient safety and quality care. This is achieved through systematic reporting of how frail patients with low-severity injuries are managed, demonstrating to bodies like the American College of Surgeons how the score can improve patient outcomes through early mobilization, delirium prevention, and family education. By adopting the LIFT score, trauma centers can significantly reduce complications and hospital stays, ensuring patient care is informed by overall health status rather than injury severity alone.

Keywords

LIFT score

elderly trauma

frailty assessment

injury severity

Clinical Frailty Scale

Frailty Index

hypertension

diabetes

patient outcomes

trauma care