Intensive care management of pneumonia in the elderly

Arterial hypoxemia, hypercapnic respiratory failure, hypotension, and depressed level of consciousness are the usual reasons for admitting a patient with pneumonia to an intensive care unit (ICU). Once the decision has been made to manage the patient in the ICU, age has little effect on the immediate goals of therapy, which include correction of hypoxemia, maintenance of adequate alveolar ventilation, and provision of sufficient blood pressure and cardiac output to support organ function until physiological homeostasis is restored as the pneumonia is controlled by appropriate antimicrobial therapy. Age-related decreases in physiological reserve are the major reasons specifically to consider ICU management of elderly pneumonia patients. These physiological changes increase the probability of major organ system failure with the development of pneumonia, and increase the likelihood that pneumonia will require ICU management. This has implications for the clinician regarding the selection and timing of therapeutic interventions. Unfortunately, the reduction of physiological reserve and the increased prevalence of coexistent chronic disease also result in significant mortality rates for elderly patients with pneumonia, potentially limiting the benefits of intensive care in this population. This raises a second issue: When, if ever, should intensive care not be used in the management of an elderly patient with severe pneumonia? A full discussion of the ethical issues surrounding this question is beyond the scope of this article, however, good medical ethics begin with sound medical judgment and are based upon solid clinical data. Accordingly, this article will also address the implications of age and underlying disease in the assessment of prognosis and use of the ICU in patients with pneumonia.