ICU sedation, delirium & recovery
Influence of Age in End-of-Life Practices in Worldwide ICUs (ETHICUS-2): A Prospective Observational Study
Main finding · Any LST limitationResult — go to the resultOdds ratio 1.47 95% CI 1.22–1.76Authors' conclusion
End-of-life limitations were higher in patients 80 years or older compared to those 65 years old or younger, with regional variations. The main reasons for limitations were comparable across age groups, with age not being the primary reason.
Study context
- Population
- Consecutive adults admitted to 199 ICUs in 36 countries who died and/or had life-sustaining therapy (LST) limitations (withholding, withdrawing, or active shortening of the dying process), Sept 2015–Sept 2016
- Participants
- 12,200 adults · 199 ICUs · 36 countries
- Exposure
- Age ≥80 y and 65-79 y vs <65 y
- Outcome
- Any LST limitation
Methodological detailsmultinational, multicentre
- Multinational
- Multicentre
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Odds ratio
1.47
95% CI 1.22–1.76
P < 0.001
80 years old or older vs younger than 65 years
OR 1.47 (95% CI 1.22–1.76); P < 0.001
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
| Outcome | OR (95% CI) | P value | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Any LST limitation, Central Europe (subgroup)80 years old or older vs younger than 65 years | 1.56 (1.11–2.20) | P = 0.037 | |
| Any LST limitation, Southern Europe (subgroup)80 years old or older vs younger than 65 years | 2.23 (1.58–3.17) | P < 0.001 | |
| 0.20.5125Odds ratio (log scale) |
Any LST limitation, other regions (subgroup)
- Association not significant in the other regions
Withholding vs withdrawing of each LST
- Withholding proportion highest in 80 years old or older; withdrawing proportion highest in younger than 65 years
Time from ICU admission to first limitation
- Shorter in 80 years old or older
Reasons for LST limitation
- Predominant reason in all age groups unresponsiveness to maximal therapy, then neurologic and chronic diseases; age rarely the primary reason
Parts of this Brief are withheld: the automatic checks could not confirm them against the abstract.
Original publication
Influence of Age in End-of-Life Practices in Worldwide ICUs (ETHICUS-2): A Prospective Observational Study. Crit Care Med. Published 16 March 2026. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →