Prognosis of elderly patients subjected to mechanical ventilation in the ICU.

Abstract Objective To analyze the prognosis of mechanically ventilated elderly patients in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Design and scope Sub-analysis of a prospective multicenter observational cohort study conducted over a period of two years in 13 medical-surgical ICUs in Spain was carried out. Patients Adult patients who required mechanical ventilation (MV) for longer than 24 h. Interventions None. Study variables Demographic data, APACHE II, SOFA, reason for MV, comorbidity, functional condition, reintubation, duration of MV, tracheotomy, ICU mortality, and in-hospital mortality. Results A total of 1661 patients were recruited. Males accounted for 67.9% (n = 1127), with a mean age of 62.1 ± 16.2 years. APACHE II: 20.3 ± 7.5. Total SOFA: 8.4 ± 3.5. Four hundred and twenty-three patients (25.4%) were ≥75 years of age. Comorbidity and functional condition rates were poorer in these patients ( p p  = 0.002). In addition, in-hospital mortality was higher in those patients who were ≥75 years of age. No differences in duration of MV, prevalence of tracheostomy or reintubation incidence were found. Regarding the indication for MV, only the patient who was ≥75 years of age with pneumonia, sepsis or trauma had a higher in-ICU mortality than the younger patients (46.3% vs 33.1%, p  = 0.006; 55% vs 25.8%, p  = 0.002; 63.6% vs 4.5%, p Conclusion Older patients (≥75 years) have significantly higher in-ICU and in-hospital mortality than younger patients without differences in the duration of mechanical ventilation. Differences in mortality were at the expense of pneumonia, sepsis and trauma.