Older adults with severe coronavirus disease 2019 admitted to intensive care unit: prevalence, characteristics and risk factors for mortality

BACKGROUND: Although older adults are at high risk for severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) requiring intensive care unit (ICU) admission, age is often used as a selection criterion in case of ICU beds scarcity. We sought to compare the proportion, clinical features and mortality between patients >= 70 years old and younger ICU patients with COVID-19. METHODS: All patients, consecutively admitted to our COVID ICU, where age was not used as an admission criterion, from March 2020 through April 2021, were included. Demographics, clinical and laboratory characteristics were recorded. Illness severity and Charlson comorbidity Index (CCI) were calculated. Patients >= 70 years old were compared to youngers. RESULTS: Of 458 patients (68 [59-76] years, 70% males), 206 (45%) were >= 70 years old. Compared to younger, older patients had higher illness severity scores (APACHE II 18 [14-23] versus 12 [9-16], P<0.001, SOFA 8 [6-10] versus 6 [2-8], P<0.001, CCI 5 [4-6] versus 2 [1-3], P<0.001), increased need for mechanical ventilation (92% vs. 72%, P<0.001) and ICU mortality (74% versus. 29%, P<0.001). Age (HR: 1.045, CI: 1.02-1.07, P=0.001), CCI (HR: 1.135, CI: 1.037-1.243, P=0.006) and APACHE II (HR: 1.070, CI: 1.013-1.130, P=0.015) were independently associated with mortality. Among comorbidities, obesity, chronic pulmonary disease and chronic kidney disease were independent risk factors for death. CONCLUSIONS: When age is not used as criterion for admission to COVID ICU, patients >= 70 years old represent a considerable proportion and, compared to younger ones, they have higher mortality. Age, severity of illness and CCI, and certain comorbidities are independent risk factors for mortality.