Geriatric Age is an Independent Risk Factor for Worse Clinical Outcomes After Motorcycle Collision

Introduction: The number of older people riding motorcycles is increasing. While geriatric patients suffer worse outcomes after motorcycle injury, it is not known whether geriatric age, age-associated comorbidities, or injury pattern drive this difference. We aimed to compare outcomes between injured geriatric (≥65 y) and nongeriatric motorcyclists and hypothesized that geriatric patients have higher mortality and worse clinical outcomes even after adjustment. Methods: We queried the 2017 to 2022 Trauma Quality Improvement Program database for patients injured in a motorcycle collision. We then compared patient characteristics and clinical outcomes between geriatric and nongeriatric patients before and after propensity score matching. A multivariate analysis was conducted to determine the relative strength of association between age, comorbidities, injury pattern, and mortality. Results: A total of 10,268 geriatric and 127,818 nongeriatric patients were identified. After propensity score matching, 10,268 patients remained in each group with balanced baseline characteristics. Geriatric patients had higher in-hospital mortality (7% versus 4%, P < 0.0001), higher rates of intensive care unit admission (43% versus 37%, P < 0.0001), and lower rates of discharge to home (54% versus 66%, P < 0.0001). Multivariate analysis confirmed geriatric age as an independent predictor of mortality (hazard ratio 1.621, P < 0.001). Conclusions: Geriatric age was independently associated with mortality and poor outcomes in injured motorcyclists when accounting for comorbidities and injury severity. These findings underscore the need for age-specific stratification and inform trauma prevention programs about the inherent risk to this growing geriatric population.