• J Carbajal-Guerrero, A Cayuela-Domínguez, E Fernández-García, T Aldabó-Pallás, J A Márquez-Vácaro, C Ortiz-Leyba, and J Garnacho-Montero.
• Unidad Clínica de Cuidados Críticos y Urgencias, Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío, Sevilla, España. Electronic address: carbajalmail@yahoo.com.
• Med Intensiva. 2014 Jan 1;38(1):21-32.

ObjectivesA study was made of the epidemiological data of sepsis requiring admission to the ICU in patients over 65 years of age, with an evaluation of independent predictors of survival at 2 years.DesignA prospective cohort study was made.PatientsPatients meeting criteria for sepsis upon admission to the ICU.SettingA 40-bed ICU in a tertiary hospital.ResultsThe study group included 237 elderly patients (≥ 65 years of age) and 281 controls (<65 years of age) (n=518). At least one chronic comorbid condition was present in 70% of the elderly patients as compared to only 56.1% of patients under age 65 (P<.01). There were several epidemiological differences between the groups: the prevalence of chronic diseases (diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and chronic heart failure), presentation as septic shock (52.3% vs 42%; P<.05), and the abdomen as the source of sepsis (52% vs 36%; P<.01) were all more frequent in elderly patients. Nine percent of the global patients discharged from hospital died in the 2-year follow-up period, but this rate reached 20% among the elderly. Independent predictors of 2-year mortality in the elderly were: chronic heart failure (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] 2.24, 95% confidence interval [CI 95%] 1.28-3.94; P<.01), acute renal failure (aHR 3.64, 95%CI 2.10-6.23; P<.01), acute respiratory failure (aHR 3.67, 95%CI 2.31-5.86; P<.01), and inappropriate empirical antimicrobial therapy (aHR 2.19, 95%CI 1.32-3.62; P<.01).ConclusionsSepsis showed different demographic characteristics and clinical presentations in the elderly. In the aging cohort, after adjusting for potential confounders, inadequate empirical antimicrobial therapy was associated to a 2-fold decrease in survival at two years.Copyright © 2012 Elsevier España, S.L. and SEMICYUC. All rights reserved.

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