Medizinische Klinik, Intensivmedizin und Notfallmedizin
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Med Klin Intensivmed Notfmed · May 2018
Review[Geriatric intensive care patients : Perspectives and limits of geriatric intensive care medicine].
Critically ill geriatric patients are vitally endangered due to the aging processes of organs, the frequently existing multimorbidity with subsequent polypharmacy and the typical geriatric syndrome of functional impairments. Aging processes in organs lower the clinical threshold for organ dysfunction and organ failure. ⋯ The main reasons for changes in therapeutic targets are the will of the patient and risk-benefit considerations. The guidelines of the ethics section of the German Interdisciplinary Association for Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine (DIVI) provide assistance and suggestions for a structured decision-making process.