title: Mortality in geriatric surgery. With special reference to the type of surgery, anaesthesia, complicating dieeases, and prophylaxis of thrombosis.
abstract: The post-operative mortality of 17,199 patients of whom approximately 20% were aged 70 years or more was studied. The primary mortality of patients aged 70 or more in major operations was 9.2%. In emergency operations, the mortality was 36.8%, in elective surgery 7.8%. Pulmonary embolism was the cause of death in 33%, cardiac collapse in 11%, and the primary illness in 9%. The mortality of patients with mental diseases was 45%, of diabetics 26%, and of cardiac patients 17%. 39% of cardiac patients died of pulmonary embolism. 26% of all deaths occurred during the first 3 post-operative days, and 35% between the 4th and 7th post-operative day. In operations lasting more than 2 h, the mortality was 36%, in those lasting less than 2 h, 7.5%. Macrodex (dextran 70) infusions during high-risk operations decreased the incidence of lethal pulmonary embolism.
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000671:Amputation, Surgical / Q000401:mortality; D000758:Anesthesia; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland; D005853:Geriatrics; D006331:Heart Diseases; D006621:Hip Joint / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D007415:Intestinal Obstruction / Q000601:surgery; D007422:Intestines / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000517:prevention & control; D011655:Pulmonary Embolism / Q000517:prevention & control; D012140:Respiratory Tract Diseases; D013514:Surgical Procedures, Operative / Q000401:mortality*; D013848:Thigh / Q000601:surgery