End-of-life care in the critically ill geriatric population.
As the geriatric population in the United States increases and better management of chronic diseases improves survival, more elderly will become critically ill and potentially require treatment in an intensive care unit (ICU). Dan Callahan has written, "... we will live longer lives, be better sustained by medical care, in return for which our deaths in old age are more likely to be drawn out and wild." Although no health care provider hopes for a drawn out and wild death for elderly patients, many geriatric persons will succumb to disease and die after having chosen and received ICU care. Recent data suggest that, on average, 11% of Medicare recipients spend more that 7 days in the ICU within 6 months before death.
Division Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Oregon Health and Science University, 3181 S. W Sam Jackson Park Rd, L102, Portland, OR 97239, USA.
Richard A
RA
Mularski
Molly L
ML
Osborne
D000368:Aged; D003142:Communication; D003422:Critical Care / Q000191:economics; D005851:Geriatric Nursing; D006299:Health Services for the Aged / Q000191:economics; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units / Q000191:economics* / Q000941:ethics; D010166:Palliative Care; D018579:Patient Selection; D013727:Terminal Care / Q000191:economics / Q000941:ethics; D028761:Withholding Treatment