Management of Very Old Patients in Intensive Care Units

The global population is aging and the demand for critical care wards increasing. Aging is associated not only with physiological and cognitive vulnerability, but also with a decline in organ function. A new topic in geriatric care is how to appropriately use critical care resources and provide the best treatment plan for very old patients (VOPs). Our special geriatric intensive care unit has admitted nearly 500 VOPs. In this review, we share our VOP treatment strategy and summarize the key points as ABCCDEFGHI bundles. The aim is to help intensivists to provide more comprehensive therapy for VOPs in intensive care units.

Automated summary

Global aging population is leading to increased demand for critical care wards, as elderly individuals experience decline in organ function. A new focus in geriatric care is on optimizing critical care resources for very old patients to provide the best treatment plan. A recent study shares a treatment strategy for very old patients in intensive care units, aimed at helping intensivists provide more comprehensive therapy.