Sepsis is among the most common reason for admission to intensive care units throughout the world. In the US and most Western nations sepsis is largely a disease of the elderly. Management of elderly patients with severe sepsis is challenging. Early recognition of this syndrome, together with the early administration of appropriate antibiotics and cautious fluid resuscitation is the cornerstone of therapy. Echocardiography together with non-invasive or invasive hemodynamic monitoring is recommended in patients who have responded poorly to fluids or have significant underlying cardiac disease. This paper reviews the hemodynamic changes that characterize sepsis, particularly as they apply to elderly patients and provides recommendations for the management of these patients.

The daily practice of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in elderly patients has brought up the attention of outcome research and resource allocation. Determinants to predict survival have been well identified. There has been empirical evidence that CPR is of doubtful utility in the geriatric population, more studies have showed controversial data. Sometimes situations in which CPR needs to be given in the elderly, causes stress to healthcare providers, due to lack of communication of the patient's wishes and the belief that it will not be successful. It is of importance to state that we have the duty to identify on time the patients that will most likely benefit from CPR, and find out the preferences of the same. Whenever it is possible to institute these guidelines, we will avoid patient suffering.