International Journal of Gerontology
Volume 1, Issue 4 , Pages 157-163, December 2007

Outcomes of Very Elderly Patients Admitted to a Respiratory Care Center in Taiwan

  • Kuang-Hua Cheng

      Affiliations

    • Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Mackay Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
    • ,
  • Ming Jen Peng

      Affiliations

    • Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Mackay Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
    • ,
  • Chien-Liang Wu

      Affiliations

    • Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Mackay Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
    • Mackay Medicine, Nursing and Management College, Taipei, Taiwan
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorrespondence to: Dr Chien-Liang Wu, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Mackay Memorial Hospital, 92, Section 2, Chung-Shan North Road, Taipei 104, Taiwan

Accepted 30 October 2007.

Article Outline

Summary 

Background

The study was undertaken to report the outcomes of very elderly patients who survived the critical illness in intensive care unit and were transferred to the respiratory care center (RCC) for weaning attempts.

Methods

A retrospective medical records analysis of post-intensive care unit weaning in the RCC of a tertiary teaching hospital.

Results

A total of 101 patients aged 80 years and older were admitted to the RCC from October 1, 2005 to March 31, 2007. The mean age of the patients was 86.0 ±4.9 years. The mortality rate was 25.7%; 45.5% of the patients were successfully weaned from the mechanical ventilator, and 28.7% were eventually dependent on ventilatory support. Pneumonia was the leading cause of the respiratory failure. The median days in the RCC was 25 days (range, 2–63 days). The median time to tracheostomy was 28 days (range, 12–114 days). The most frequent complication in the unit was urinary tract infection. The severity of illness at admission to the unit, but not the age of patients, was the determinant of weaning success. The average cost of each patient in the RCC was US$6,667.50.

Conclusion

Nearly half of the very elderly patients admitted to the RCC were able to be liberated from mechanical ventilation in the setting of the RCC. The daily cost of the RCC stay was less than that in the intensive care unit.

Key Words:  adrenal insufficiency , elderly , mechanical ventilator , outcomes , weaning

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PII: S1873-9598(08)70040-1

doi:10.1016/S1873-9598(08)70040-1

International Journal of Gerontology
Volume 1, Issue 4 , Pages 157-163, December 2007

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