Materials and Method: We retrospectively investigated the data of 51 patients older than 65 years who required home mechanical ventilator prescription due to delayed mechanical ventilation during their treatment in intensive care unit between January 2016 and January 2018.
Results: The patients" mean age was 78.33±8.12 years. Twenty-six patients (51%) switched to home mechanical ventilator, 12 weaned and 13 died before switching to home mechanical ventilator. Eleven patients (42.3%) were discharged with home mechanical ventilator and 15 (57.7%) were spontaneously breathing. Four patients were prescribed palliative care, 3 were sent home, 3 to a nursing home, 2 to the hospital ward and 14 to a secondary intensive care unit. After discharge, 9 patients were re-admitted to the intensive care unit and 12 of the 15 patients we contacted, died within 1 year.
Conclusion: Although the estimated mortality rate is high in geriatric patients in intensive care units, our study showed that the rate of discharge with a home mechanical ventilator was also high in these patients. Considering the prolonged length of stay in intensive care unit, we think that it is important to plan the discharge with a home mechanical ventilator in this patient group.
Keywords : Geriatrics; Ventilators, Mechanical; Weaning; Patient discharge