[Mortality and quality of life of patients beyond 65 years one year after ICU discharge].
BACKGROUND
Intensive care in elderly patients is a subject of controversy, because they generally present a high rate of mortality and short expectation of life. Due to the increasing life expectancy, more elderly patients will be treated in Intensive Care Unit (ICU) with an increasing consume of resources. The present study considers the mortality and quality of life (QOL) of patients beyond 65 years after ICU, and theirs predictors.


METHODS
Retrospective study of patients >= 65 years admitted in multidisciplinaire ICU. Mortality and QOL (with modified EuroQOL Instrument) one year after discharge were studied. To determine mortality and QOL one year independent predicting factors, multiple logistic regression models were used.


RESULTS
Of 313 patients studied, 95 (30%) died in ICU, 32 (10%) in hospital and 34 (11%) died after discharge. The independent predicting factors of mortality one year after ICU discharge were: organ failure (p < 0.000; odds ratio [OR], 2.9), cardiac surgery (p < 0.0000; OR, 0.15) and respiratory disease (p < 0.01; OR, 2.8). Of the 152 surviving patients, 21% got worse their previous QOL and only 17% were severely discapitated. The independent predicting factors of QOL one year after ICU discharge were: prior QOL (p < 0.0002; OR, 10.2) and age (p < 0.002; OR, 0.09).


CONCLUSIONS
Despite the high one year after ICU discharge mortality rate (51%), 83% of the survivors were able to live independently. Due to dependence between mortality and multiorganic failure during ICU stay and not age, this latter cannot be the determining factor of the care level.
García Lizana
F
F
Unidad de Medicina Intensiva, Hospital Nuestra Señora del Pino, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. fglizana@idenet.com
Manzano Alonso
J L
JL
Saavedra Santana
P
P
D000368:Aged; D002423:Cause of Death; D003422:Critical Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D009026:Mortality; D010351:Patient Discharge; D011788:Quality of Life; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013030:Spain; D017741:Survivors / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*