[Mechanical ventilation. Influence of the age in the outcome]

Abstract

There is not consensus about the true influence of age on mortality associated to mechanical ventilation (MV). We performed a prospective study in order to determine if age is an independent factor to predict mortality in patients under MV. Two hundred patients requiring MV at the intensive care unit were included and clinical variables at admission, co-morbidities, complications and outcome at the hospital and after 6 months were registered. Patients were divided in 2 groups: Group 1 (n = 164) under 80 year old and Group 2 (n = 36) 80 year or older. There were no differences in intensive care unit or hospital mortality between the two groups (55.56% vs. 41.46% and 58.33% vs. 42.68%). Six-month survival were significantly lower in patients over 80 year-old (22.22% vs. 48.17%, p = 0.0051). Multivariate analysis showed that only an APACHE II score > 20 (p = 0.0077) or the absence of an autonomous life (p = 0.0028) were independent predictive factors of mortality. Elderly patients under mechanical ventilation do not show a higher mortality because of the advance age in itself. Restriction of mechanical ventilation and invasive care does not seem to be justified based on the advanced age.