Elderly Patients and Management in Intensive Care Units (ICU): Clinical Challenges

Abstract

There is a growing population of older adults requiring admission to the intensive care unit (ICU). This population outpaces the ability of clinicians with geriatric training to assist in their management. Specific training and education for intensivists in the care of older patients is valuable to help understand and inform clinical care, as physiologic changes of aging affect each organ system. This review highlights some of these aging processes and discusses clinical implications in the vulnerable older population. Other considerations when caring for these older patients in the ICU include functional outcomes and morbidity, as opposed to merely a focus on mortality. An overall holistic approach incorporating physiology of aging, applying current evidence, and including the patient and their family in care should be used when caring for older adults in the ICU.

The association between Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index and the risk of Invasive Candidiasis in critically ill older adults

“…It is important to note that our study focused on elderly patients in the ICU, as this population is particularly vulnerable to infections due to their compromised immune function and higher prevalence of malnutrition [ 33 ]. However, there are several limitations in this study.…”

Exploring the Applicability of Pre-Anesthetic Cardiac POCUS in Unexpected Conditions: Could it be Helpful?

“…The global population is advancing in age and elderly individuals warrant particular attention 21 . As a result of aging, geriatric patients experience stiffening of their arterial circulatory system and heart chambers which might result in a variety of illnesses, notably heart failure 22 . Valve thickening specifically at mitral or aortic positions (i.e., degenerative, rheumatic, calcific, others) 23 , is an additional significant structural change that can occur over time and occasionally lead to stenosis or insufficiencies with potential hemodynamic effects.…”

Association between the levels of urinary cell cycle biomarkers and non-recovery of renal function among critically ill geriatric patients with acute kidney injury

“…The past century has witnessed significant increases in human longevity, leading to a substantial rise in the elderly population over the next two decades [ 1 ]. Consequently, there is an increasing prevalence of elderly patients in intensive care units (ICUs) [ 2 ]. In the Asian-Pacific region, the World Health Organization (WHO) defines older adults as individuals above the age of 60, further subdivided into the old (60–74 years) and very old (75 years and older) populations [ 3 ].…”