title: Changes of health-related quality of life in critically ill octogenarians: a follow-up study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Intensivists frequently are concerned about whether octogenarians actually will benefit from ICU admission. We studied changes in health-related quality of life (HRQOL) 6 months following ICU discharge in those patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  We performed a long-term prospective study in a medical-surgical ICU. Patients aged ≥ 80 years (n = 129) and < 80 years (n = 620) admitted for > 48 h were included. We used the Medical Outcomes Study 36-item short form (SF-36) to evaluate HRQOL before ICU admission (using proxies), at ICU discharge, at hospital discharge, and at 3 and 6 months following ICU discharge, using a linear mixed model.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At 6 months after ICU discharge, 49 patients aged ≥ 80 years and 352 patients aged < 80 years could be evaluated. At ICU discharge, physical functioning was far lower than mental functioning (physical component score, 24.9; mental component score, 46.1) in the octogenerians. Most SF-36 dimensions showed significant improvement over time (all P < .01, except role-emotional [P = .038] and bodily pain [P = .77]). In the octogenarians, mean SF-36 scores 6 months after ICU discharge were comparable to baseline in all dimensions. Most dimensions of the SF-36 were not significantly lower in surviving octogenarians at 6 months after ICU discharge compared with the normal population.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We demonstrated a good recovery of HRQOL in octogenarians surviving critical illness. The findings suggest that denying admission to the ICU should not just rely on old age.
authors.affiliation: Department of Intensive Care, Gelre Hospital, Apeldoorn. Electronic address: j.hofhuis@gelre.nl.
authors.forename: José G M
authors.initials: JGM
authors.lastname: Hofhuis
authors.affiliation: Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Center, Utrecht.
authors.forename: Henk F
authors.initials: HF
authors.lastname: van Stel
authors.affiliation: Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Center, Utrecht.
authors.forename: Augustinus J P
authors.initials: AJP
authors.lastname: Schrijvers
authors.affiliation: Department of Intensive Care, Gelre Hospital, Apeldoorn.
authors.forename: Johannes H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Rommes
authors.affiliation: Department of Intensive Care, Gelre Hospital, Apeldoorn; Department of Intensive Care, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Peter E
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Spronk
mesh_terms: D018806:APACHE; D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003422:Critical Care / Q000379:methods / Q000523:psychology; D016638:Critical Illness / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic / Q000379:methods; D010351:Patient Discharge / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life; D018570:Risk Assessment; D017741:Survivors; D013997:Time Factors