Intensive care medicine
-
Intensive care medicine · Oct 2012
ICU admission characteristics and mortality rates among elderly and very elderly patients.
The effect of advanced age per se versus severity of chronic and acute diseases on the short- and long-term survival of older patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) remains unclear. ⋯ The proportion of elderly patients from the total ICU population is high. With advancing age, the proportion of various preexisting comorbidities and the primary reason for ICU admission change. Advanced age should be regarded as a significant independent risk factor for mortality, especially for ICU patients older than 75.
-
Intensive care medicine · Oct 2012
Safety of nicotine replacement therapy in critically ill smokers: a retrospective cohort study.
Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) has been used to ameliorate nicotine withdrawal in the intensive care unit (ICU). Previous cohort studies have suggested an increased mortality with NRT use: methodological problems may call into question the validity of these findings. We undertook a retrospective cohort study to determine if NRT use was associated with adverse outcomes. ⋯ We were unable to demonstrate any harm associated with NRT, with the ICU model actually trending towards benefit. We conclude that a randomised, blinded, placebo controlled trial is required to assess adequately the safety and efficacy of NRT as a treatment in critically ill smokers.