HOUSTON: Seniors admitted to the hospital intensive care unit (ICU) were more likely to die or sharply decline soon after their release depending on how well they functioned beforehand, according to a new study.
Researchers looked at data on almost 300 people over age 70 who had at least one admission to an ICU. Using information from monthly interviews over the year prior to hospitalization, the study team divided the patients into three groups based on functional ability and found that these groups strongly predicted how the patients would do after the ICU.
To gauge disability level, the study asked the patients if they needed assistance with basic life tasks, like bathing, dressing, walking, and sitting in a chair, or with things like shopping, housework, meal prep, managing finances, and if they were able to walk a quarter mile or carry a 10-pound weight.
A person was classed as minimally disabled if he or she was able to do all or almost all of the 13 functional tasks without help. Those with mild to moderate disability needed help with about three tasks, and those with severe disability averaged only four functional activities.
Roughly a quarter of the participants died in the ICU or within 30 days of discharge, and another quarter experienced functional decline after their hospitalization…