Journal of Clinical and Experimental Investigations

Abstract

Objective: The increase in the mean age of the general population is reflected in the patient populations who are in need of intensive care. Increasing number of comorbidities with age is also an important issue to be considered in the management of these patients. We evaluated clinical and laboratory features of the elderly (65-79 years) and very elderly (≥80 years) patients in our medical intensive care unit (ICU).
Methods: The clinical and laboratory data of intensive care patients aged 65 and over were retrospectively analyzed. Comorbidities were commented with 19 disease-weighted Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI).
Results: 231 elderly and 216 very elderly patients were included in this study. Pulmonary diseases were the most prevalent primary cause of admission to ICU in both groups. The most common comorbidities were hypertension and heart failure in both groups. Number of patients whose CCI scores>3 were higher in very elderly patients group than in elderly patients group. While there was no difference in terms of median ICU-survival between two groups in general, when 30 days and longer intensive care follow-ups were evaluated, it was found 81.0 (95% CI: 48.8-113.2) days and 41.0 (95% CI: 36.6- 45.4) days in the elderly and very elderly patients respectively (p = 0.009).
Conclusion: We concluded that, age is not the main factor affecting the ICU-survival in patient over 65 years old in intensive care unit. However, increasing age may be associated with short survival at prolonged hospitalizations in ICU.