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The very old in intensive care: Admission characteristics, mortality and supports needed at six months postdischarge
Author(s) -
Tsang Jessica,
Bloomfield Katherine,
Lawrey Ywain,
Wu Zhenqiang,
Connolly Martin J.
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
australasian journal on ageing
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.63
H-Index - 34
eISSN - 1741-6612
pISSN - 1440-6381
DOI - 10.1111/ajag.12794
Subject(s) - medicine , residence , hospital discharge , patient discharge , emergency medicine , hospital admission , pediatrics , general surgery , medline , demography , sociology , political science , law
Objective To describe survival and six‐month outcomes (residence, community supports) in the very old (≥80 years) admitted to intensive care in Waitemata District Health Board, New Zealand. Methods Hospital records of patients 80 years and over admitted from August 2015 to June 2017 were reviewed. Results One hundred and seventeen patients were admitted (median age: 83). Standard ICU risk scores predicted survival to hospital discharge. Patients admitted electively were more likely to survive to discharge than emergency ICU/HDU admissions ( P = .007). Ninety‐two (79%) survived to hospital discharge, and 84 (72%) survived to 6 months. Eighty‐four were discharged home (91% of survivors), and 79 were living at home at 6 months (94% of survivors). Community supports increased from admission (34, 29%) to 6 months later (34, 43% of community dwellers). Forty‐four (47.8% surviving to discharge) were readmitted within 6 months. Conclusions Most patients are alive at discharge and 6 months, with a majority requiring no formal supports.