Table 1.
Characteristics of fee-for-service Medicare Beneficiaries with critical care unit stays during hospitalizations in 1996 and 2010
| 1996 | 2010 | |
|---|---|---|
| No. Patients | n=2,161,341 | n=1,531,303 |
| Age, mean (SD) | 76.4 (7.3) | 77.0 (8.2) |
| 65-74 (%) | 44.2 | 40.7 |
| 75-84 | 40.7 | 37.5 |
| 85-94 | 14.1 | 20.1 |
| 95+ | 1.0 | 1.7 |
| Sex | ||
| Male | 48.9 | 49.3 |
| Female | 51.1 | 50.7 |
| Race | ||
| White | 88.3 | 84.8 |
| Black | 8.2 | 9.9 |
| Other | 3.5 | 5.3 |
| Select comorbid illnesses a | ||
| Hypertension | 38.7 | 49.6 |
| Fluid and electrolyte disorders | 16.3 | 29.3 |
| Congestive heart failure | 13.1 | 25.6 |
| Chronic pulmonary disease | 22.1 | 20.2 |
| Diabetes | 18.3 | 17.9 |
| Chronic kidney disease | 3.4 | 15.2 |
| Deficiency anemia | 7.4 | 9.7 |
| Weight loss | 3.1 | 8.2 |
| Hypothyroidism | 5.5 | 7.8 |
| Peripheral vascular disease | 8.3 | 7.2 |
| Valvular heart disease | 4.4 | 6.7 |
| Coagulopathy | 2.8 | 5.5 |
| Neurological disorders | 1.6 | 5.3 |
Critical care unit stays were defined as the presence of an intensive care or coronary care revenue center code in the hospital billing record. All data are percentages unless otherwise stated.
a
Select comorbid illnesses are those Elixhauser comorbidities with rates above 5% in 2010.