The critically ill older patient with sepsis

Sepsis is a significant public health concern, particularly affecting individuals above 70 years in developed countries. This is a crucial fact due to the increasing aging population, their heightened vulnerability to sepsis, and the associated high mortality rates. However, the morbidity and long-t...

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Bibliographic Details
Authors: Ibarz, Mercedes|||0000-0003-2908-0748, Haas, Lenneke E. M., Ceccato, Adrian|||0000-0001-9454-062X, Artigas Raventós, Antoni|||0000-0002-8029-1017
Format: article
Publication Date:2024
Country:España
Institution:Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
Repository:Dipòsit Digital de Documents de la UAB
Language:English
OAI Identifier:oai:ddd.uab.cat:290170
Online Access:https://ddd.uab.cat/record/290170
https://dx.doi.org/urn:doi:10.1186/s13613-023-01233-7
Access Level:Open access
Keyword:Infection outcomes
Intensive care
Old
Sepsis
Very old
Description
Summary:Sepsis is a significant public health concern, particularly affecting individuals above 70 years in developed countries. This is a crucial fact due to the increasing aging population, their heightened vulnerability to sepsis, and the associated high mortality rates. However, the morbidity and long-term outcomes are even more notable. While many patients respond well to timely and appropriate interventions, it is imperative to enhance efforts in identifying, documenting, preventing, and treating sepsis. Managing sepsis in older patients poses greater challenges and necessitates a comprehensive understanding of predisposing factors and a heightened suspicion for diagnosing infections and assessing the risk of sudden deterioration into sepsis. Despite age often being considered an independent risk factor for mortality and morbidity, recent research emphasizes the pivotal roles of frailty, disease severity, and comorbid conditions in influencing health outcomes. In addition, it is important to inquire about the patient's preferences and establish a personalized treatment plan that considers their potential for recovery with quality of life and functional outcomes. This review provides a summary of the most crucial aspects to consider when dealing with an old critically ill patient with sepsis.