Is ischemic preconditioning during coronary angioplasty preserved in elderly patients?
Our study confirms that adaptation to ischemia during repeated balloon inflations in the setting of PTCA is independent of collateral recruitment and, therefore, is mainly due to ischemic preconditioning. More importantly, our study indicates that ischemic preconditioning is preserved in elderly patients.
Survival to hospital discharge was demonstrated in elderly patients receiving massive transfusions post trauma, even in the presence of multiple risk factors for mortality. Restrictive resuscitation or transfusion on the basis of age alone cannot be supported. Early aggressive resuscitation of elderly trauma patients along specific guidelines directed at the geriatric population is justified and may further improve outcomes.