Korean J Intern Med.  2017 Jul;32(4):675-681. 10.3904/kjim.2015.331.

Outcomes of very elderly (≥ 80 years) critical-ill patients in a medical intensive care unit of a tertiary hospital in Korea

Affiliations
  • 1Department of Internal Medicine, Gyeongsang National University Hospital and Institute of Health Sciences, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju, Korea. hockkim@gnu.ac.kr

Abstract

BACKGROUND/AIMS
This study evaluated clinical characteristics and outcomes in very elderly (≥ 80 years of age) critical-ill patients admitted to a medical intensive care unit (MICU) in a regional single tertiary hospital.
METHODS
We retrospectively evaluated prospectively collected data in the MICU for the period of December 2011 to May 2014. Patients were divided into ≥ 80 and < 80 years of age and clinical characteristics and outcomes were compared among these patients.
RESULTS
A total of 468 patients were evaluated and 102 patients (21.7%) were ≥ 80 years of age. Overall mortality was 38.5% in the intensive care unit (ICU) and 44.7% in the hospital. There was no significant difference in ICU and in-hospital mortalities between those ≥ 80 years and those < 80 years (34.9% vs. 39.5% for ICU mortality; 40.6% vs. 45.9% for in-hospital mortality). Lengths of ICU and hospital stays were significantly longer in patients < 80 years compared to patients ≥ 80 years (10.57 ± 19.96 days vs. 8.19 ± 8.78 days for ICU stay; 27.95 ± 39.62 days vs. 18.17 ± 15.44 days for hospital stay). The rate of withholding intensive care in hospital stay over 48 hours was significantly higher in patients ≥ 80 years compared to patients < 80 years (22.9% vs. 11.8%). In multivariate analysis, weaning failure and withdrawal or withholding of intensive care in ICU was significantly related to death in patients with age ≥ 80.
CONCLUSIONS
Clinical outcomes were not significantly different for very elderly critical-ill patients compared to those of their younger counterparts in the MICU in this study.

Keyword

Aged; Intensive care units; Outcomes

MeSH Terms

Aged*
Critical Care*
Hospital Mortality
Humans
Intensive Care Units*
Korea*
Length of Stay
Mortality
Multivariate Analysis
Prospective Studies
Retrospective Studies
Tertiary Care Centers*
Weaning
Full Text Links
  • KJIM
Actions
Cited
CITED
export Copy
Close
Share
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
Similar articles
Copyright © 2024 by Korean Association of Medical Journal Editors. All rights reserved.     E-mail: koreamed@kamje.or.kr