title: Prognostic factors in elderly patients admitted in the intensive care unit.
abstract: Currently, aging of the population is a widespread global phenomenon. Therefore, the assessment of prognosis in elderly patients is needed. This study aims to identify risk factors in a population of elderly patients admitted in the intensive care unit
  
  
  METHODS
  A prospective study in the intensive care unit of a general tertiary hospital was carried out for five months. Patients with 65 years or more of age, who stayed in the intensive care unit for 24 hours or more were included and those at the-end-of-life, patients readmitted to intensive care unit during the same hospital stay were excluded.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In this study 199 patients were involved, with a mean age of 75.4±6.8 years, and 58.8% were female. Mortality was 57.3%. The mean APACHE II, SOFA, MODS and Katz index (assessment of daily activities) were respectively 20.0±5.8, 6.8±3.9, 2.4±1.9 and 5.3±1.6. Most patients were postoperative 59.3% and 41.6% were under invasive mechanical ventilation. At regression analysis, the independent determinants of higher mortality were: older age (76.9±6.7 years death versus 73.3±6.5 years discharge, P<0.001, OR=1.08, CI 95% 1.01-1. 16), the Katz index (4.9±1.9 deaths versus 5.7±0.9 discharge, p=0.001, OR=0.66, CI 95% 0.45-0.98), hyperglycemia (158.1±69.0 death versus 139.6±48.5 discharge p=0.041; OR=1.02; CI 95% 1.01-1.03) and need for mechanical ventilation at admission to the intensive care unit (57.0% death versus 20.5% discharge p <0.001, OR=3.57, CI 95% 1.24-10.3).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Elderly patients admitted to the intensive care unit that have difficulties in performing daily activities, hyperglycemia and who are under invasive mechanical ventilation had a worse hospital prognosis.
authors.affiliation: Hospital do Servidor Público Estadual Francisco Morato de Oliveira, São Paulo, SP, Brasil.
authors.forename: Francine de Cristo
authors.initials: Fde C
authors.lastname: Stein
authors.affiliation: Hospital do Servidor Público Estadual Francisco Morato de Oliveira, São Paulo, SP, Brasil.
authors.forename: Raffaelle Kasprowicz
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Barros
authors.affiliation: Hospital do Servidor Público Estadual Francisco Morato de Oliveira, São Paulo, SP, Brasil.
authors.forename: Fernanda Seligman
authors.initials: FS
authors.lastname: Feitosa
authors.affiliation: Hospital do Servidor Público Estadual.
authors.forename: Diogo Oliveira
authors.initials: DO
authors.lastname: Toledo
authors.affiliation: Hospital do Servidor Público Estadual.
authors.forename: João Manoel da
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Silva Junior
authors.affiliation: Hospital do Servidor Público Estadual.
authors.forename: Alexandre Marini
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Isola
authors.affiliation: Hospital do Servidor Público Estadual.
authors.forename: Ederlon
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rezende