PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of age on outcome in a large cohort of surgical intensive care unit (ICU) patients. METHODS: In this retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data, all 11537 adult patients admitted directly from the operating room to our 50-bed surgical ICU between January 1, 2004, and January 31, 2009, were included. Patients were classified into 5 subgroups according to age (18-50 [reference category], 51-65, 66-75, 76-85, >85 years). RESULTS: Severity scores and the incidence of comorbid conditions on ICU admission increased steadily with age. Intensive care unit and hospital mortality rates were 4.4% and 8.7%, respectively, and increased with age to reach 12.4% and 28.2%, respectively, in patients older than 85 years. In multivariate logistic regression analysis, age was an independent risk factor for in-hospital death (odds ratio, 1.04; 95% confidence interval, 1.03-1.04, per year; P < .001). Gastrointestinal surgery was independently associated with a higher risk of in-hospital mortality in patients older than 50 years, whereas neurosurgery was associated with a higher risk of in-hospital death only in patients older than 65 years. CONCLUSIONS: Mortality rates increase with age, with an exponential increase in patients older than 65 years. Age is an independent risk factor for in-hospital death, irrespective of the type of surgical intervention.
PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of age on outcome in a large cohort of surgical intensive care unit (ICU) patients. METHODS: In this retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data, all 11537 adult patients admitted directly from the operating room to our 50-bed surgical ICU between January 1, 2004, and January 31, 2009, were included. Patients were classified into 5 subgroups according to age (18-50 [reference category], 51-65, 66-75, 76-85, >85 years). RESULTS: Severity scores and the incidence of comorbid conditions on ICU admission increased steadily with age. Intensive care unit and hospital mortality rates were 4.4% and 8.7%, respectively, and increased with age to reach 12.4% and 28.2%, respectively, in patients older than 85 years. In multivariate logistic regression analysis, age was an independent risk factor for in-hospital death (odds ratio, 1.04; 95% confidence interval, 1.03-1.04, per year; P < .001). Gastrointestinal surgery was independently associated with a higher risk of in-hospital mortality in patients older than 50 years, whereas neurosurgery was associated with a higher risk of in-hospital death only in patients older than 65 years. CONCLUSIONS: Mortality rates increase with age, with an exponential increase in patients older than 65 years. Age is an independent risk factor for in-hospital death, irrespective of the type of surgical intervention.