title: Severe Sepsis in Elderly Patients Undergoing Gastrointestinal Surgery-a Prospective Multicenter Follow-up Study of Finnish Intensive Care Units.
abstract: We aimed to evaluate the outcome of elderly patients with severe sepsis after alimentary tract surgery.
  
  
  
  A prospective study was conducted in 24 intensive care units (ICU) in Finland. Four thousand five hundred consecutive patients were admitted to ICUs and 470 patients fulfilled the criteria for severe sepsis. All patients who had undergone gastrointestinal surgery were included. The outcomes of elderly (≥65 years) and younger patients were compared. The key factor under analysis was death from any cause during the hospitalization or within 1 year after the surgery.
  
  
  
  A total of 73 elderly patients (and 81 younger patients) were found to have severe alimentary tract surgery-related sepsis. The mean age of the elderly patients was 76.4 years, and 56.2 % were female. The most common indication for surgery was acute cholecystitis (21.9 %), followed by acute diverticulitis (13.7 %), and gastroduodenal ulcer (13.7 %). The anatomic site of the infection was intra-abdominal in 86.3 % of cases, the second most common being pulmonary (13.7 %). In-hospital mortality was 47.9 % and 1-year mortality 64.4 %. Of the discharged patients, 31.6 % died within 1 year. Patients who died were older and more frequently had concomitant conditions. The ICU scoring systems (APACHE, SAPS, and SOFA) and elevated lactate levels were predictive of increased mortality.
  
  
  
  Severe sepsis among the elderly is a rare but often-fatal infectious event. In addition to high in-hospital mortality, it is also associated with significant 1-year mortality.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology and Alimentary Tract Surgery, Tampere University Hospital, Teiskontie 35, FIN-33521, Tampere, Finland. mika.ukkonen@fimnet.fi.
authors.forename: Mika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ukkonen
authors.affiliation: Department of Intensive Care Medicine, Tampere University Hospital, Tampere, Finland.
authors.forename: Sari
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Karlsson
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology and Alimentary Tract Surgery, Tampere University Hospital, Teiskontie 35, FIN-33521, Tampere, Finland.
authors.forename: Johanna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Laukkarinen
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland.
authors.forename: Tuomo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Rantanen
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland.
authors.forename: Hannu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Paajanen
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002423:Cause of Death / Q000639:trends; D013505:Digestive System Surgical Procedures / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland / Q000453:epidemiology; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D017052:Hospital Mortality / Q000639:trends; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018805:Sepsis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D015996:Survival Rate / Q000639:trends; D013997:Time Factors
keywords: Elderly patients; Gastrointestinal diseases; General surgery; Sepsis; Septic; Shock