EPIDEMIOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF ELDERLY IN ICU IN THE GAÚCHA HILL REGION IN SOUTHERN BRAZIL: COMPARATIVE DATA TO 2018 AND COVID-19 (Atena Editora)

Abstract

Goals: to evaluate the epidemiological profile of the elderly in an intensive care unit (ICU) of a private hospital in Gaúcha Hill between April and September 2020, including those affected by Sars-CoV-2, and to compare the information collected in 2018. Method: retrospective observational study, including variables such as age, gender, prognostic score (SAPS3), days of ICU stay, mechanical ventilation (MV), death, and positive PCR test for Sars-CoV-2. Patients under 60 years of age and without SAPS3 completed due to ICU admission for less than 2 days were excluded. Results: A total of 184 elderly people in ICU were analyzed. 57% were men, with a mean age of 75 years, with 75% of hospitalizations for clinical reasons, mostly for respiratory causes (71.7%), consisting of 45 hospitalizations (62.5%) for Covid-19, also mostly male (66.7%), with a mean age of 72 years. They remained on average for 8.9 days, with an average SAPS3 of 52.9, with 52.57% of patients requiring MV and 50.5% of death. Among elderly people with Covid-19, the average was 14 days, with an average of SAPS3 60.7. 86.7% of these required MV and 68.9% died. In 2018, the majority were female (54.9%), with an average of SAPS3 54 and the main hospitalization cause of hospitalization was renal/metabolic clinic (29.3%), with an average of 7.6 days, 46% requiring MV and 27% progressing to death, unlike in 2020, probably due to the occurrence of the Sars-Cov-2 pandemic. Conclusions: There are few epidemiological analysis studies involving a specific group for elderly people with Covid-19 in ICU. The present study shows that the affected elderly require a longer hospital stay, as well as a greater need for MV and significantly higher mortality when compared to the general group of elderly people in 2020 and 2018, evaluated at the same institution.