Critical Care in Older People in Low and Middle-Countries (LMICs): Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment (CGA) Protocol in Andes Mountains

Abstract

Background: The number of older adults in ICU care is increasing. Nowadays, at least fifty percent of ICU patients are aged 65 years and older. The most frequent pathologies to be admitted to the ICU in older people include acute diseases, long-term conditions, and acute or chronic disease exacerbations. Furthermore, new clinical phenotypes, and geriatric syndromes (falls, frailty, immobility) result from the interaction of age-associated conditions and comorbidity. Severity of index disease, multimorbidity, premorbid functional status, frailty, nutritional status, and cognitive level are more important determinants of long-term outcome than chronological age. Comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) is a recognized and useful instrument in the management of elderly patients. Methods: We present a protocol for a clinical trial on the application ofCGA in ICU in the Andes Mountains in Colombia, a Low and Middle-Income Country (LMIC). This protocol could provide valuable information for the integration of geriatrics into critical care and provide practical information on how to implement CGA in this context. Results: The selection criteria of the tools to be used during the assessment of the patients were based on the available literature review and on reviews about interdisciplinary team interventions in acute care services based on the CGA. Conclusion: The care of critically ill elderly patients in the ICU is challenging due to factors such as frailty, psychosocial vulnerability, cognitive impairment, dependence on activities of daily living, and the presence of geriatric syndromes which are important conditions for adverse health outcomes in the future. CGA technology could be considered an excellent tool for managing older people in ICU.