Turkish Journal of Geriatrics 2024 , Vol 27, Issue 1
INTENSIVE CARE UNIT OUTCOMES AND MORTALITY IN ELDERLY ONCOLOGY PATIENTS
Arif TIMUROGLU1, Selda MUSLU1, Aysegul DANACI1, Erce CAN URESIN1, Suheyla UNVER1
1Dr. Abdurrahman Yurtaslan Ankara Oncology Training and Research Hospital, anesthesiology, Ankara, Turkey DOI : 10.29400/tjgeri.2024.385 Introduction: Rising life expectancy has increased elderly admissions to intensive care units. With age, comorbidity risks rise. Intensive care units" hospital mortality for elderly patients stands at 24% to 40%. Oncology patients often require intensive care units care, stemming from cancer-related conditions, treatment complications, or other health issues. However, intensive care units" mortality remains higher among cancer patients.

Materials and Method: Ethics committee-approved retrospective analysis covered oncology patients aged 65+ in intensive care units from Jan 2020 to Dec 2021. We categorized patients into two age groups, reviewing demographic data, admissions" reasons, cancer types, recent treatments, APACHE II and SOFA scores, ventilator use, renal replacement therapy need, intensive care units /hospital durations, mortality rates, primary diseases, and comorbidities.

Results: Among 706 intensive care units" patients, 25% were over 65 with similar mortality across age groups. Lung/colon tumors and acute leukemias were common. Hematological cancer had higher APACHE II scores but similar mortality. Vasoactive drugs and mechanical ventilation significantly affected intensive care units and hospital mortality. Mortality increased in patients without vasoactive drugs/ventilation during hospitalization. Recent surgery correlated with lower hospital mortality in cancer patients. Mechanical ventilation and vasoactive drugs doubled mortality risk. Surgical admissions showed lower mortality. Renal replacement therapy correlated with higher mortality. No significant survival difference existed between cancer types.

Conclusion: In conclusion, treatments impact elderly oncology patients" survival in intensive care units /hospitals. Intensive care units" care"s effectiveness in older groups, especially those 75+, suggests potential benefits. Non-surgical admissions and life support contribute to higher mortality. Further studies on pre- intensive care unit treatment and admission timing are essential. Keywords : Neoplasms; Critical Care; Aged