ICU sedation, delirium & recovery
Timing matters: sex differences in treatment limitation decisions in intensive care
Authors' conclusion
In Switzerland, sex differences in treatment limitations occur mainly at ICU admission and vary across diagnoses.
Study context
- Population
- Adult (≥ 18 years) ICU admissions, Swiss Minimal Dataset for Intensive Care Units, 2016–2024
- Participants
- 654,660 ICU stays
- Exposure
- Women vs men
- Outcome
- Treatment limitations documented at ICU admission and those occurring later among patients admitted without limitations
Methodological detailsnationwide registry, adjusted logistic regression
- Nationwide registry
- Adjusted logistic regression
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Treatment limitations at ICU admission · ICU admission
- Female sex independently associated with limitations at admission
- aOR 1.26 (1.24-1.28) (95% CI)
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Treatment limitations during ICU stay (patients admitted without limitations) · adjusted logistic regression
- Treatment limitations during ICU stay (patients admitted without limitations) — Female sex only weakly associated with later limitations
- aOR 1.10 (1.08-1.13) (95% CI)
Limitations at admission by diagnosis (subgroup)
- Differences at admission varied by diagnosis, most pronounced in trauma and cardiovascular conditions
Type of limitation decision
- Women more often ceiling-of-care decisions and documented patient wishes; men more often withdrawal of life-sustaining therapies and physician-driven decisions
Mortality by limitation category
- Highest with limitations at ICU admission, lowest without limitations; minimal sex differences within categories
Original publication
Timing matters: sex differences in treatment limitation decisions in intensive care. Crit Care. Published 19 June 2026. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →