Intensive Care for the Elderly: Outcome of Elective and Nonelective Admissions

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

4-1987

Journal Title

Journal of the American Geriatrics Society

ISSN

1532-5415

DOI

10.1111/j.1532-5415.1987.tb04637.x

Abstract

Survival, quality of life, and need for continuing medical care were evaluated for 134 elderly patients admitted to the intensive care units (ICU) at Stanford University Hospital and for a control group. Of the patient group, 57.5% were admitted to the ICU following elective surgery; 42.5% were emergency surgical and medical patients. Hospital mortality was 3.9% for elective and 22.8% for nonelective patients; 18-month mortality was 13.0% and 47.4%, respectively. Fifty-nine patients (60.8% of survivors) completed follow-up questionnaires. Subjective and objective quality of life was good. Quality of life was slightly worse for ICU survivors than for controls; elective and nonelective patients did not differ significantly. Although the cost of ICU hospitalization was high, additional medical care was not excessive. Nonelective patients required more continuing care than elective patients, and both groups required more than controls.

First Page

312

Last Page

318

Num Pages

7

Volume Number

35

Issue Number

4

Publisher

The American Geriatrics Society

Link to Full Text

Share

COinS