ICU sedation, delirium & recovery
End‐of‐life decision‐making in critically ill old patients with and without coronavirus disease 2019
Authors' conclusion
Decisions to withdraw or withhold life-sustaining treatments were based on other variables for the critically ill COVID-19 cohort compared to those for the critically ill non-COVID-19 cohort.
Study context
- Population
- Critically ill patients ≥65 years in a Swedish ICU (Sahlgrenska University Hospital), 1 March 2020 to 30 April 2021
- Participants
- 394 patients
- Exposure
- non-COVID-19 vs COVID-19
- non-COVID-19n = 131reference
- COVID-19n = 263
- Outcome
- Independent factors predicting the decision to withdraw or withhold life-sustaining treatments (LST)
Methodological detailssingle-centre, multivariable logistic regression
- Single-centre
- Multivariable logistic regression
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Independent predictors of decision to withdraw or withhold LST (multivariable analysis)
Odds ratio (95% CI)P value
Age (non-COVID-19)
1.10(1.03–1.19)
P = 0.009SAPS 3 (non-COVID-19)
1.06(1.03–1.10)
P < 0.001Charlson comorbidity index (COVID-19)only independent predictor in COVID-19
1.26(1.07–1.49)
P = 0.006Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Univariate predictors of decision to withdraw or withhold life-sustaining treatments (LST)
- Non-COVID-19: age and SAPS 3 significantly associated
- COVID-19: age, SAPS 3 and Charlson comorbidity index significantly associated
Original publication
End‐of‐life decision‐making in critically ill old patients with and without coronavirus disease 2019. Acta Anaesthesiol Scand. Published 5 September 2023. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →