[Adverse event in elderly patients in intensive care unit]

Area of Science:

• Critical Care Medicine
• Gerontology
• Patient Safety

Context:

• The intensive care unit (ICU) presents unique safety challenges for the aging population.
• Latin America shows a recent but increasing focus on the safety of elderly patients in ICUs.
• Existing literature primarily addresses physical and procedural adverse events.

Purpose:

• To systematically review scientific production in Latin America concerning the safety of aged individuals in ICUs.
• To identify and analyze adverse events reported in the literature concerning elderly ICU patients.

Summary:

• A systematic review of 20 papers, mostly published after 2000 in Brazil by nurses and physicians, identified common adverse events.
• These include medication errors, accidental removal of devices (probes, catheters), nosocomial infections, procedural errors, and pressure sores.
• Notably, adverse events related to behavioral changes in older ICU patients were not mentioned in the reviewed literature.

Impact:

• Highlights the nascent stage of research on elderly safety in Latin American ICUs.
• Underscores the need for increased attention to the specific risks faced by older adults in critical care settings.
• Suggests future research should explore underreported adverse events, such as behavioral changes, to improve comprehensive patient safety.