Therapeutic characterization of elderly patients with cardio-respiratory diseases hospitalized in an intensive care unit at school hospital of state university of Maringá

Abstract

Cardiovascular and the respiratory diseases, mainly chronic-degenerative diseases, cause high rates in morbidity and mortality in elderly people. The profile of elderly people hospitalized in the intensive care unit of the School Hospital of the State University of Maringá during 2004 is investigated. The pharmacological therapy has also been evaluated. It has been reported that 68.4 70% of patients hospitalized in ICU were also diagnosed for cardio-respiratory diseases. Stroke and pneumonia, among others, were frequently the cause of hospitalization. A sixteen-day hospitalization has been the average for the patients under analysis. A direct correlation between age bracket, number of prescribed drugs and mortality of the patients has been recorded. Data shows the importance of individual care and prescription for elderly people during ICU hospitalization.