Table 3.
Comparison of characteristics of non-survivors between octogenarians (80–90) and nonagenarians (>90)
| Variables | 80–90 years old N = 36 | >90 years old N = 44 | p value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age in years, median (IQR) | 82.9 (81.1–85.2) | 92 (91–93.5) | <0.01 |
| Males, n (%) | 18 (50) | 18 (40.9) | 0.42 |
| Body mass index, kg/m2, median (IQR)a | 24.2 (22.2–26) | 22 (20–27.3) | 0.24 |
| Transfer from ward, n (%) | 21 (58.3) | 17 (38.6) | 0.08 |
| At least one underlying diseaseb, n (%) | 12 (33.3) | 20 (45.5) | 0.27 |
| Hepatic | 0 | 1 (2.3) | 0.36 |
| Cardiovascular | 7 (19.4) | 15 (34.1) | 0.14 |
| Pulmonary | 4 (11.1) | 7 (15.9) | 0.54 |
| Renal | 2 (5.6) | 2 (4.5) | 0.84 |
| Immunosuppression | 1 (2.8) | 2 (4.5) | 0.68 |
| Admission category, n (%) | 1.00 | ||
| Medicine | 27 (75) | 33 (75) | |
| Unscheduled surgery | 9 (25) | 11 (25) | |
| Scheduled surgery | 0 | 0 | |
| Main symptom at admission, n (%) | |||
| Shock and multiorgan failure | 16 (44.4) | 16 (36.4) | 0.46 |
| Acute respiratory failure | 13 (36.1) | 16 (36.4) | 0.98 |
| Acute renal failure | 0 | 1 (2.3) | 0.36 |
| Coma | 4 (11.1) | 3 (6.8) | 0.50 |
| Monitoring | 3 (8.3) | 2 (4.5) | 0.68 |
| Trauma | 0 | 1 (2.3) | 0.36 |
| Severity of illness at admission, median (IQR) | |||
| SAPS II at admission | 55.5 (45.5–76) | 62 (49.5–81.5) | 0.20 |
| SAPS II leaving out age points | 37.5 (27.5–58) | 44 (31.5–63.5) | 0.20 |
| SOFA within 48 h of admission | 7 (5–10.5) | 8 (6–10) | 0.41 |
| Intensity of care within 48 h of admission, n (%) | |||
| Endotracheal mechanical ventilation | 27 (75) | 29 (65.9) | 0.38 |
| Noninvasive mechanical ventilation | 9 (25) | 6 (13.6) | 0.20 |
| Epinephrine/norepinephrine | 23 (63.9) | 23 (52.3) | 0.30 |
| Dobutamine | 11 (30.6) | 14 (31.8) | 0.90 |
| Central venous catheter | 23 (63.9) | 18 (40.9) | 0.04 |
| Arterial catheter | 18 (50) | 12 (27.3) | 0.04 |
| Renal replacement therapy | 1 (2.8) | 2 (4.5) | 0.68 |
| Urinary catheter | 30 (83.3) | 36 (81.8) | 0.86 |
| Pre-ICU hospital stay, days, median (IQR) | 1.5 (0–6.5) | 0 (0–1) | 0.03 |
| Length of ICU stay, days, median (IQR) | 8.5 (2.5–19.5) | 6 (2–16) | 0.17 |
| Length of hospital stay, median (IQR) | 13 (5–24) | 8 (3–18.5) | 0.09 |
| Decision to forgo life-sustaining treatments within 48 h of admission, n (%) | |||
| Advance withholdingc | 11 (30.6) | 8 (18.2) | 0.20 |
| Withholding | 2 (5.6) | 5 (11.4) | 0.36 |
| Withdrawing | 2 (5.6) | 2 (4.5) | 0.84 |
IQR inter quartile range, SAPS II Simplified Acute Physiologic Score II, SOFA Sepsis Organ Failure Assessment, ICU intensive care unit
a31 missing values
bDefined by Knaus definition [17]
cAnticipated decision of no escalation of life-sustaining intervention before this need arises