Mortality and outcomes of elderly patients admitted to the intensive care unit at Cairns Base Hospital, Australia

Objective: To determine the survival and outcome of elderly patients admitted to the intensive care unit at Cairns Base Hospital.

Methods: A retrospective review of patients aged 60 years or over admitted to the ICU (a Level 2 general unit) at Cairns Base Hospital, a regional hospital in Queensland, during 2003–2005. Mortality was determined by review of hospital records, the Queensland register of deaths, and direct patient or family contact in November 2006. Demographic and clinical details were collected, and the EuroQol-5D questionnaire was used to assess current and pre-ICU quality of life.

Results: 432 patients aged [1]60 years had 469 admissions to the ICU during 2003–2005. Long-term outcome was determined for 68%: 201 (46%) were confirmed dead, and 94 (22%) were confirmed alive, while the outcome for 137 (32%) remained unknown. Allowing for an estimated mortality of 39% in the unknown group, the overall estimated mortality was 60%. Mean follow-up time was 2.4 (SD, 0.9) years (range, 11–35 months). As age increased, mortality increased: 37% for the 60–70 years age group; 50% for 70–80 years; 61% for 80–90 years, and 83% for > 90 years. The quality of life of survivors was lower on follow-up than on ICU admission.

Conclusions: Elderly patients admitted to the ICU have high mortality. As age increases, mortality increases. Elderly survivors can expect a lower quality of life after an ICU admission, although on average the difference is not great.

Crit Care Resusc 2007; 9: 334–337

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