Demographic Changes In Intensive Care Units In Korea Over The Last Decade And Outcomes Of Elderly Patients: A Single-Center Retrospective Study

Background: Aging is a significant issue worldwide, and Korea is one of the most rapidly aging countries. Along with the demographic transition, the age structure of intensive care unit (ICU) patients changes as well.Methods:The aim of this study was to analyze the change in age distribution of the ICU patients over the last 10 years and its effect on clinical outcomes. Single-center, retrospective analysis of all patients aged >= 18 years admitted to either the medical or surgical ICU at St. Paul's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea, between January 2005 and December 2014 was conducted. For clinical outcome, in-hospital mortality, duration of ICU stay, and hospital stay were analyzed. Cost analysis was performed to show the economic burden of each age strata.Results: A total of 10,366 ICU patients were admitted to the chosen ICUs during the study period. The proportion of elderly patients aged >= 65 years increased from 47.9% in 2005 to 63.7% in 2014, and the proportion of the very elderly patients aged >= 80 years increased from 12.8% to 20.7%. However, this increased proportion of elderly patients did not lead to increased in-hospital mortality. The percent of ICU treatment days attributable to elderly patients increased from 51.1% in year 2005 to 64.0% in 2014. The elderly ICU patients were associated with higher in-hospital mortality compared to younger age groups.Conclusions: The proportion of elderly patients admitted to ICUs increased over the last decade. However, overall in-hospital mortality has not increased during the same period.