Inhospital outcome of elderly patients in an intensive care unit in a Sub-Saharan hospital

BACKGROUND: In Burkina Faso, demographics are changing and we are seeing a growing prevalence of older patients in intensive care units. Elderly people have increased health care needs but there is a lack of geriatric specialists. This study aimed to analyze in-hospital outcome of patients aged over 65 years, admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at Yalgado Hospital. METHODS: We carried out a 5-year retrospective study in the ICU of Yalgado Ouédraogo Hospital. Elderly patients with completed records were included. Baseline characteristics, clinical and outcome were analyzed. RESULTS: Two thousand one hundred sixteen patients were admitted to ICU, 237 (11.2%) of whom were included. There were 70 females and 167 males. The median age was 71.7 ± 6.1 years. The overall mortality rate in ICU was 73%, of whom 90% died within 7 days after admission. In multivariate analysis, shock (Odds Ratio: OR = 2.2, p = 0.002), severe brain trauma (OR; 9.6, p = 0.002), coma (OR 5.8 p < 0.003), surgical condition (OR = 4.2, p = 0.003), ASAPS Score ≥ 8 (OR = 4.3, p = 0.001), complication occurring (OR = 5.2(,) p = 0.001) and stroke (OR = 3.7(,) p = 0.001) were independent factors. CONCLUSION: Elderly patients were frequent in ICU and their mortality rate was high. Stroke, severe brain trauma, surgery, complications occurring during hospitalization were independent risk factors of death.