title: Predictors of nursing workload in elderly patients admitted to intensive care units.
abstract: The age of patients is a controversial issue in admission to intensive care unit (ICU). The aim of this study was to compare severity and nursing workload of elderly patients with 60-69, 70-79, and e"80 years of age and to identify predictors of nursing workload in elderly patients. A cross sectional study was performed with a sample of 71 elderly patients admitted to three ICU in the city of Sao Paulo, Brazil from October to November 2004. Data were prospectively collected using Nursing Activities Score (NAS) and Simplified Acute Physiology Score II (SAPS II). There was no significant difference in nursing workload among the elderly patients age subgroups (p=0.84). Multiple regression analysis indicated that the independent risk factors of high nursing workload were severity, age e"70 years, and to be a surgical ICU patient. Age as an isolated factor should not be discriminative for elderly patients admission to ICU.
authors.affiliation: First Aid Post, Hospital Nove de Julho Brazil. cleber73@gmail.com
authors.forename: Cleber Ricardo de
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Sousa
authors.forename: Leilane Andrade
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Gonçalves
authors.forename: Maria Cecília
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Toffoleto
authors.forename: Karine
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Leão
authors.forename: Kátia Grillo
authors.initials: KG
authors.lastname: Padilha
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009729:Nursing; D016526:Workload / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*