Hospital costs in patients receiving prolonged mechanical ventilation: does age have an impact?
BACKGROUND
The aging of the population is one of the causes of the increase in healthcare costs in the past few decades. It is controversial whether chronological age alone should be used in making healthcare decisions.


OBJECTIVE
To determine the association between age and hospital costs in patients receiving mechanical ventilation (MV).


METHODS
Prospective, observational study.


METHODS
Intensive care units at a teaching hospital.


METHODS
A total of 813 adults who received prolonged (> or =48 hrs) mechanical ventilation.


METHODS
None.


METHODS
Severity of illness, comorbidities, length of stay, hospital costs, and mortality. We evaluated the independent association of age with hospital costs using linear regression.


RESULTS
Mean (+/-sd) age of patients was 60.4 +/- 18.8 yrs. Median Acute Physiology Chronic Health Evaluation III score and probability of hospital death at intensive care unit admission were 64 and 0.31, respectively. Hospital mortality was 36%. Median total hospital costs and daily costs were $ 56,056 and $2,655 US dollars, respectively. Older age was associated with lower total hospital costs after controlling for sex, intensive care unit type, severity of illness, length of stay, insurance type, resuscitation status, and survival. Hospital costs were significantly less in older patients in all cost departments examined, except for respiratory care and intensive care unit room costs.


CONCLUSIONS
Daily and total hospital costs were lower in older patients. Decreased hospital resource use in older patients may be related to a preference for less aggressive care by older patients and their families or by healthcare providers.
Chelluri
Lakshmipathi
L
Department of Critical Care Medicine, Room 637, 6th Floor Scaife, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA. chelluril@ccm.upmc.edu
Mendelsohn
Aaron B
AB
Belle
Steven H
SH
Rotondi
Armando J
AJ
Angus
Derek C
DC
Donahoe
Michael P
MP
Sirio
Carl A
CA
Schulz
Richard
R
Pinsky
Michael R
MR
D018806:APACHE; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D017721:Hospital Costs; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units / Q000191:economics*; D007902:Length of Stay; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012121:Respiration, Artificial / Q000191:economics*