title: Prognosis of elderly patients subjected to mechanical ventilation in the ICU.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To analyze the prognosis of mechanically ventilated elderly patients in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).
  
  
  METHODS
  Sub-analysis of a prospective multicenter observational cohort study conducted over a period of two years in 13 medical-surgical ICUs in Spain.
  
  
  METHODS
  Adult patients who required mechanical ventilation (MV) for longer than 24 hours.
  
  
  METHODS
  None.
  
  
  METHODS
  Demographic data, APACHE II, SOFA, reason for MV, comorbidity, functional condition, reintubation, duration of MV, tracheotomy, ICU mortality, in-hospital mortality.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 1661 patients were recruited. Males accounted for 67.9% (n=1127), with a mean age of 62.1 ± 16.2 years. APACHE II: 20.3 ± 7.5. Total SOFA: 8.4 ± 3.5. Four hundred and twenty-three patients (25.4%) were ≥ 75 years of age. Comorbidity and functional condition rates were poorer in these patients (p<0.001 for both variables). Mortality in the ICU was higher in the elderly patients (33.6%) than in the younger subjects (25.9%) (p=0.002). Also, in-hospital mortality was higher in those ≥ 75 years of age. No differences in duration of MV, prevalence of tracheostomy or reintubation incidence were found. Regarding the indication for MV, only the patient ≥ 75 years of age with pneumonia, sepsis or trauma had a higher in-ICU mortality than the younger patients (46.3% vs 33.1%, p=0.006; 55% vs 25.8%, p=0.002; 63.6% vs 4.5%, p<0,001, respectively). No differences were found referred to other reasons for MV.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Older patients (≥ 75 years) have significantly higher in-ICU and in-hospital mortality than younger patients without differences in the duration of mechanical ventilation. Differences in mortality were at the expense of pneumonia, sepsis and trauma.
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Medicina Intensiva, Hospital Virgen de la Luz, Cuenca, España. jmaelizalde@gmail.com
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Añon
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Gómez-Tello
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: González-Higueras
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Córcoles
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Quintana
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: García de Lorenzo
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Oñoro
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Martín-Delgado
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: García-Fernández
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Marina
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gordo
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Choperena
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Díaz-Alersi
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Montejo
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: López-Martínez
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012121:Respiration, Artificial; D055815:Young Adult