Outcomes of elderly survivors of intensive care: a review of the literature.
An increasing proportion of critically ill patients are elderly (ie, >or= 65 years of age). This poses complex challenges and choices for the management of elderly patients. Outcome following admission to the ICU has been traditionally concerned with mortality. Beyond mortality, outcomes such as functional status and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) have assumed greater importance. This article reviews the literature, published in English from 1990 to December 2003, pertaining to HRQOL and functional status outcomes of elderly patients. Functional status and HRQOL of elderly survivors of ICUs has been underinvestigated. There is no agreement as to the optimal instrument choice, and differences between studies preclude meaningful comparison or pooling of results.
Hennessy
Deirdre
D
Department of Critical Care Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Calgary, Room EG23G, Foothills Medical Centre, 1403 Twenty-Ninth St NW, Calgary, AB, Canada T2N 2T9.
Juzwishin
Kelsey
K
Yergens
Dean
D
Noseworthy
Thomas
T
Doig
Christopher
C
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D003422:Critical Care; D016638:Critical Illness; D006801:Humans; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D011788:Quality of Life; D018434:Sickness Impact Profile; D017741:Survivors