[Gender specific differences in the frequency of admission to intensive care units, duration of stay and the application of intensive medical care measures in men and women aged 75 years and above in an Austrian region].
OBJECTIVE
It was the aim of this study to evaluate the frequency of admission to intensive care units, duration of stay and application of intensive care treatments in patients aged 75 years and above and to analyse possible gender specific differences.


METHODS
Analysis of hospital in-patient data of all hospitals of a southern Austrian region (federal state of Carinthia).


RESULTS
In the year 2003, 4.7% of the men and 3.2% of the women aged 75 years and above were treated in intensive care units (p<0.001). This gender specific difference was independent of the reason for the intensive care admission. The mean duration of stay in intensive care units was longer for 75-79 year old men compared to women (6.38 vs. 4.91 days, p<0.01). Typical intensive care treatments like mechanical ventilation, artificial airways and vasoactive medication were applied more often to men than to women.


CONCLUSIONS
In the aged there are marked gender specific differences in the application of intensive care treatments, especially in the end-of-life state in Austria. The reasons for these differences should be subject of future research.
Institut für Sozialmedizin und Epidemiologie, Medizinische Universität Graz. thomas.dorner@medunigraz.at
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Dorner
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Knopp
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Stettner
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Freidl
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001317:Austria / Q000453:epidemiology; D003422:Critical Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D016638:Critical Illness / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D010343:Patient Admission / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015995:Prevalence; D017678:Sex Distribution