"Geriatric patients in Argentinean ICUs: admission, care patterns, outcomes and healthcare system implications"

Argentina is one of the countries with a higher elderly population in South America and up to now, there is a lack of local data describing the characteristics and outcomes of this population admitted to intensive care units. Our study aims to determine the prevalence of elderly patients admitted to the ICU and describe their characteristics, outcomes and implications in healthcare system.

This is an observational, retrospective study analyzing data from the Argentine Critical Care Society (SATI-Q) database between 2011 and 2019. Elderly patients were defined as those aged 75 years or older, and very elderly patients as those aged 90 years or older. The primary outcome was in-hospital mortality. Secondary outcomes included ICU length of stay, complications, and device-associated infection rates.

Between 2011 and 2019, 28,625 (19.8%) patients aged 75-90 years and 2,037 (1.4%) patients above 90 years were included in the database; During this period, the percentage of elderly patients increased from 15.7 to 21.9%, while the proportion of very elderly rose from 1.3 to 2.2% (p = 0.0001). ICU mortality was 24% in elderly patients and 27% in very elderly patients. Secondary outcomes included a median ICU stay of 3 days, comparable complication rates, and no significant differences in device-associated infections. Multivariate analysis identified age, APACHE II score, TISS 28 score, use of MV, medical or trauma-related admission, and public healthcare as independent mortality predictors.

Studies show rising elderly ICU admissions, with greater life support use and longer stays. This study in Argentina highlights similar trends, stressing the need to adapt public health strategies and optimize resources for more equitable care.