Identification of prognostic predictors in critically ill non-cancer patients without severe organ failure in a medical long-term care ward
10.14442/generalist.39.94
- VernacularTitle:医療療養病棟における非がん高齢者終末期の予後に影響を与える指標の評価
- Author:
Hisataka Tsushima
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords:
prognostic predictors;
critical non-cancer patients without organ failure;
medical long-term care ward;
serum albumin
- From:An Official Journal of the Japan Primary Care Association
2016;39(2):94-97
- CountryJapan
- Language:Japanese
-
Abstract:
Introduction : The aim of this study was to identify prognostic predictors in critically ill non-cancer patients without severe organ failure in a medical long-term care ward.
Method : We retrospectively studied 36 non-cancer patients who died in our ward between October 2011 and March 2014. All patients were bedridden with mild impairment of consciousness, were unable to consume food or water, but had no severe organ failure. We attempted to identify the factors that significantly affected their prognosis.
Result : Mean age was 85 years and the male to female ratio was 19 : 17. Diagnoses were dementia (21cases), senility (8 cases), Parkinson's disease (4cases) and multiple cerebral infarctions (3 cases). Median survival time after subcutaneous drip infusion was 31days. No significant prognostic factors were identified by correlation and multivariate regression. Prognosis for patients who had serum albumin levels under 3mg/dl, however, was worse than in patients with levels above 3mg/dl (27 days vs 61 days , p=0.001).
Conclusion : We were unable to identify clear prognostic predictors in this study. Serum albumin levels, however, may influence prognosis in critically ill non-cancer patients without severe organ failure.
