Critères d'admission en réanimation des personnes âgées de plus de 80 ans

Unjustified restriction to intensive care unit (ICU) admission of elderly patients still exists. It can occur in the emergency department where elderly patients may be insufficiently proposed for ICU admission. Moreover, ICU admission criteria for elderly patients rely too often on chronological age only. Admission criteria are self-sufficiency, good nutritional status and no active cancer. Non-admission criteria are severity where resuscitation is unreasonable, heavy co-morbidities and risk of permanent dependence on technology substitution. Intensivists and Geriatricians should discuss what are considered as “Very elderly patients” and reasonable resuscitation.