Direct and delayed admissions to ICU in older medical patients.
Acute Med. 2018;17(2):83-90
Authors: Bosch M, Zwietering NA, Borggreve H, Pijpers E, Stassen PM
Abstract
The aims of this retrospective cohort study were to retrieve characteristics and outcomes of older (65+) medical patients who are directly admitted to ICU from the ED and to compare these with those admitted to ICU from a ward. Of 1396 patients, 21 (1.5%) were directly admitted to ICU and 54 (3.9%) after a delay. Blood pressure was lower and respiratory rate higher in the direct than in the delayed group. The direct group had lower mortality (28-day: 19.0 vs. 38.9%, p=0.14; 1-year: 42.9 vs. 66.7%; p=0.06), shorter length-of-stay and returned more frequently to independent living than the delayed group. Only a fraction of older patients are admitted to ICU; directly admitted patients tend to have better outcomes.
PMID: 29882558 [PubMed - in process]