Clinical Characteristics and Outcomes of Older Patients Admitted to the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit
Key result
Age ≥85 linked to ~95% higher in-hospital mortality vs <65, especially with cardiac arrest.
- OR 1.95
- 95% CI 1.72-2.22
- n=35,265
Why the study?
Contemporary data characterizing older adults admitted to cardiac intensive care units across diverse indications are limited.
Does older age increase in-hospital mortality in patients admitted to the CICU?
Population
35,265 consecutive medical CICU admissions from 50 sites
Comparison
Older age groups (65-<75, 75-<85, and >=85 years) vs younger adults (<65 years)
Design
Multicenter, international registry study
Authors
Discussion
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Implication
Higher CICU mortality risk with age cautions against age-alone triage; leaves open prospective validation of nuanced admission criteria.
Key Points
- The aim is to describe clinical characteristics, therapies, and outcomes for older patients in CICUs compared to younger adults.
- Multicenter registry study with data from 35,265 admissions at 50 sites between 2017 and 2024.
- Patients aged <65, 65-<75, 75-<85, and ≥85 years were analyzed.
- Outcomes assessed included in-hospital mortality and length of stay, adjusted for key variables like SOFA score and kidney function.
- Patients aged ≥85 years had a 1.95 adjusted odds ratio for in-hospital mortality compared to those <65 years.
- Mortality risk increased significantly with age among cardiac arrest patients, reaching 3.09 for patients ≥85 years.
- Only 5.5% of patients aged ≥85 received mechanical circulatory support, indicating potential treatment gaps.
Study Design
Type
Observational (n=35,265)
Multicenter
Yes
Structured PICO
Does older age increase in-hospital mortality in patients admitted to the CICU?
P
Population
35,265 consecutive medical admissions to cardiac intensive care units across 50 sites, categorized by age to compare outcomes of older versus younger adults.
E
Exposure
Older age groups (65-<75, 75-<85, and ≥85 years)
C
Comparator
Younger adults (<65 years)
O
Outcome
CICU and in-hospital mortality and length of stayhard clinical
Main Result
Odds Ratio: 1.95 (95% CI 1.72–2.22)
Patients aged ≥85 years in contemporary CICUs experience survival comparable to those aged 75-<85 years, except in the setting of cardiac arrest, supporting consideration of factors beyond chronological age in triage.
Cite This Study
Tarabanis et al. (2026) conducted an observational in Cardiac intensive care unit admission (n=35,265). Older age (≥85 years) vs. Age <65 years was evaluated on In-hospital mortality (OR 1.95, 95% CI 1.72-2.22). Compared to patients <65 years, those aged ≥85 years had a higher risk of in-hospital mortality (adjusted OR 1.95; 95% CI 1.72-2.22), with a steeper increase among cardiac arrest patients.