Abstract
The influence of patient's age on survival, level of therapy and length of stay was analyzed from data collected in 792 consecutive admissions to eight intensive care units. Mortality rate increased progressively with age; over 65 years of age, it was more than double that of patients under 45 years (36.8% versus 14.8%). However, mortality rate in patients over 75 years was equal to that observed in the 55 to 59 years group. There was a significant relationship between age and acute physiology score (APS) and the influence of age upon outcome decreased when APS increased. The number of TISS (therapeutic intervention scoring system) points delivered to patients increased slightly but significantly with age (r=0.14). Standard care was responsible for the main part of this increase. Both in survivors and in non-survivors the length of stay was not different comparing the stay of the oldest patients with that of the younger age groups. We conclude that, in ICU patients, age is an important factor of prognosis but not as important as the severity of illness, and that there is no major difference in outcome of patients over 65 years of age compared to the entire study group of ICU patients.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Campion EW, Mulley AG, Goldstein RL, Barnett GD, Thiebault GE (1981) Medical intensive care for the elderly. A study of current use, costs and outcomes. J Am Med Assoc 246:2052
Le Gall JR, Brun-Buisson C, Trunet P, Latournerie J, Chantereau S, Rapin M (1982) Influence of age, previous health status, and severity of acute illness on outcome from intensive care. Crit Care Med 10:575
Fedullo AJ, Swinburne AJ (1983) Relationship of patient age to cost and survival in a medical ICU. Crit Care Med 11:155
McLean RF, McIntosh JD, Kung GY, Leung DMW, Byrick RJ (1985) Outcome of respiratory intensive care for the elderly. Crit Care Med 13:625
Knaus WA, Zimmerman JE, Wagner DP, Draper EA, Laurence DE (1981) Apache — acute physiology and chronic health evaluation: a physiologically based classification system. Crit Care Med 9:591
Cullen DJ, Civetta JM, Briggs BA, Ferrara LC (1974) Therapeutic intervention scoring system: a method for quantitative comparison of patient care. Crit Care Med 2:51
Knaus WA, Wagner DP, Draper EA (1981) The range of intensive care services today. J Am Med Assoc 246:2711
Boyd JT, Doll R (1954) Gastro-intestinal cancer and the use of liquid paraffin. Br J Cancer 8:231
Knaus WA (1985) Valuer pronostique des pertubations du milieu intérieur. Rean Soins Intens Med Urg 1:43
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Nicolas, F., Le Gall, J.R., Alperovitch, A. et al. Influence of patients' age on survival, level of therapy and length of stay in intensive care units. Intensive Care Med 13, 9–13 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00263549
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00263549