[Acute respiratory failure in the elderly patients]

ACUTE RESPIRATORY FAILURE IN THE ELDERLY PATIENTS Acute respiratory failure (ARF) requiring an admission in intensive care unit in the old patients presents specific characteristics that must be considered for diagnosis, treatment and prognosis. Old patients are at increased risk of ARF after any assault. It is imperative to assess the prognosis of an old patient requiring invasive treatment in the ICU f or an ARF. Age is only one of the factor accounting for high mortality together with comorbidities, previous functional status, severity of the ARF and frailty. Simple and reliable tools are available to determine the degree of frailty. Thus, chronological age should not only be considered to determine the intensity of care; the concept of physiological age may better assist the clinician in his decision making. Management should be comprehensive and multi-professional; rehabilitation should be as early as possible, which emphasizes the absolute necessity of having a physiotherapist attached to the service.