The Association of Age With Short-Term and Long-Term Mortality in Adults Admitted to the Intensive Care Unit. (October 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Seethala, Raghu R.; Blackney, Kevin; Hou, Peter; Kaafarani, Haytham M. A.; Yeh, Daniel Dante; Aisiku, Imoigele; Tainter, Christopher; deMoya, Marc; King, David; Lee, Jarone
• Is Part Of: Journal of intensive care medicine. Volume 32:Number 9(2017)
• Page Start: 554
• Page End: 558
• Publication Date: 2017-10
• Subjects: age -- elderly -- mortality -- intensive care unit -- comorbidity index; Critical care medicine -- Periodicals; Critical Care -- Periodicals; Soins intensifs -- Périodiques; Soins intensifs; Périodique électronique (Descripteur de forme); Ressource Internet (Descripteur de forme); 616.02805
• DOI: 10.1177/0885066616658230
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0885-0666

Abstract

Background: Based on the current literature, it is unclear whether advanced age itself leads to higher mortality in critically ill patients or whether it is due to the greater number of comorbidities in the elderly patients. We hypothesized that increasing age would increase the odds of short-term and long-term mortality after adjusting for baseline comorbidities in intensive care unit (ICU) patients. Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort study of 57 160 adults admitted to any ICU over 5 years at 2 academic tertiary care centers. Patients were divided into age-groups, 18 to 39, 40 to 59, 60 to 79, and ≥80. The primary outcomes were 30-day and 365-day mortality. Results were analyzed with multivariate logistic regression adjusting for demographics and the Elixhauser-van Walraven Comorbidity Index. Results: The adjusted 30-day mortality odds ratios (ORs) were 1.39 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.21-1.60), 2.00 (95% CI: 1.75-2.28), and 3.33 (95% CI: 2.90-3.82) for age-groups 40 to 59, 60 to 79, and ≥80, respectively, using the age-group 18 to 39 as the reference. The adjusted 365-day mortality ORs were 1.46 (95% CI: 1.32-1.61), 2.10 (95% CI: 1.91-2.31), and 2.96 (95% CI: 2.67-3.27). Conclusion: In critically ill patients, increasing age is associated with higher odds of short-term and long-term death after correcting for existing comorbidities.