Outcomes of Very Elderly Patients Admitted to a Respiratory Care Center in Taiwan

Background: The study was undertaken to report the outcomes of very elderly patients who survived the critical illness in intensive care unit and were transferred to the respiratory care center (RCC) for weaning attempts. Methods: A retrospective medical records analysis of post-intensive care unit weaning in the RCC of a tertiary teaching hospital. Results: A total of 101 patients aged 80 years and older were admitted to the RCC from October 1, 2005 to March 31, 2007. The mean age of the patients was 86.0 ±4.9 years. The mortality rate was 25.7%; 45.5% of the patients were successfully weaned from the mechanical ventilator, and 28.7% were eventually dependent on ventilatory support. Pneumonia was the leading cause of the respiratory failure. The median days in the RCC was 25 days (range, 2–63 days). The median time to tracheostomy was 28 days (range, 12–114 days). The most frequent complication in the unit was urinary tract infection. The severity of illness at admission to the unit, but not the age of patients, was the determinant of weaning success. The average cost of each patient in the RCC was US$6,667.50. Conclusion: Nearly half of the very elderly patients admitted to the RCC were able to be liberated from mechanical ventilation in the setting of the RCC. The daily cost of the RCC stay was less than that in the intensive care unit