Geriatric intensive-care unit

Specialty| Intensive care medicine

[edit on Wikidata]

Geriatric intensive care unit is a special intensive care unit dedicated to management of critically ill elderly.

## Origin[edit]

Geriatric intensive care units began because the world population is aging. Geriatric medicine is distinct from adult or pediatric medicine, especially if they are critically ill. Geriatric medicine was not included in the curricula of undergraduate or advanced medical training until recently, so not all critical care physicians are oriented to the specific needs of geriatric patients. Despite the fact that many critically ill patients are older, the training of critical care teams still lacks a geriatric focus.[1][2][3][4]

Older adults admitted to intensive care units can suffer from severe infections, such as MRSA or systemic fungal infections,[5] and may need special post-operative analgesia.[6] People age 75+ may need assessment by special instruments to predict their ICU prognosis.[7] One quotation has said "geriatric ICUs are the future".[8]

## World distribution[edit]

Geriatric care units are present in Japan,[9] United States, China,[10][11][12] Egypt, Europe[13] France,[14] Italy,[15][16] Iran,[17] and India.[18][19][20]

## Training & education programs[edit]

Physicians are trained in geriatric medicine & critical care medicine.[21][22][23]

Nurses receive special training in critical care of elderly in their basic training, advanced and clinical training.[24][25][26]

## Ventilators[edit]

Ventilator parts

A geriatric ventilator is a machine that provides mechanical ventilation by moving breathable air into and out of the lungs, to deliver breaths to a geriatric patient who is physically unable to breathe, or breathing insufficiently.

### Open-source ventilators[edit]

Main article: Open-source ventilator

A geriatric open-source ventilator uses open-source hardware. They are valorated in COVID-19 pandemic.

## See also[edit]

* Geriatrics
* Intensive care unit
* Open-source hardware
* Ventilator

## References[edit]

1. ^ Fisher, Malcolm (June 1993). "Geriatric intensive care". Critical Care Medicine. 21 (6): 823. doi:10.1097/00003246-199306000-00006. ISSN 0090-3493. PMID 8504647.
2. ^ The Geriatric Patient in The Intensive Care Unit, Cuba
3. ^ RELATION BETWEEN ELDERLY AND INTENSIVE CARE UNIT, Turkey
4. ^ Neuroscience ICU[permanent dead link]
5. ^ Invasive mycosis in the Elderly – an appraisal on an geriatric intensive care unit[permanent dead link]
6. ^ postoperative analgesia for geriatric intensive care patients
7. ^ Geriatric Intensive Care Unit, Peking University, China
8. ^ The geriatric intensive care unit - Dr Eryl Davies: geriatric ICUs are the future
9. ^ Dojin Hospital’s geriatric intensive care unit, Japan
10. ^ Geriatric Intensive Care Unit, Peking University, China
11. ^ Geriatric Intensive Care Unit, Nanjing, China
12. ^ Zeng, A; Song, X; Dong, J; Mitnitski, A; Liu, J; Guo, Z; Rockwood, K (2015). "Mortality in Relation to Frailty in Patients Admitted to a Specialized Geriatric Intensive Care Unit". J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 70 (12): 1586–94. doi:10.1093/gerona/glv084. PMC 4631107. PMID 26400736.
13. ^ 4 beds geriatric intensive care unit in France
14. ^ Invasive mycosis in the Elderly – an appraisal on an geriatric intensive care unit[permanent dead link]
15. ^ "New treatments in Geriatric Intensive Care Ward of the University Hospital in Florence, Italy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2006-10-04. Retrieved 2013-01-17.
16. ^ Fumagalli, Stefano (2002). "Does Advanced Age Affect the Immediate and Long-Term Results of Direct-Current External Cardioversion of Atrial Fibrillation?". Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. 50 (7): 1192–1197. doi:10.1046/j.1532-5415.2002.50304.x. PMID 12133012. S2CID 40143191.
17. ^ Permanent Geriatric Intensive Care, Poland
18. ^ Geriatric Intensive Care Unit, King George Medical University, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India
19. ^ Geriatric intensive-care unit (GICU) at Kumar Hospital, Jabalpur
20. ^ The New Indian Express
21. ^ Geriatric intensive care (1993) article
22. ^ The Geriatric Patient in The Intensive Care Unit, Cuba
23. ^ RELATION BETWEEN ELDERLY AND INTENSIVE CARE UNIT, Turkey
24. ^ "geriatric medical intensive care nurse photo". Archived from the original on 2008-09-05. Retrieved 2008-11-06.
25. ^ geriatric intensive-care school
26. ^ "Training courses in pediatric and geriatric intensive care, India". Archived from the original on 2007-08-23. Retrieved 2008-11-06.

* v
* t
* e

Intensive care medicine

* Health science
* Medicine
* Medical specialities
* Respiratory therapy

General terms|

* Intensive care unit (ICU)
* Neonatal intensive care unit (NICU)
* Pediatric intensive care unit (PICU)
* Coronary care unit (CCU)
* Critical illness insurance
* Geriatric intensive-care unit

Conditions|

| Organ system failure|

Shock sequence
SIRS
Sepsis
Severe sepsis
Septic shock
Multiple organ dysfunction syndrome

Other shock
Cardiogenic shock
Distributive shock
Anaphylaxis
Obstructive shock
Neurogenic shock
Spinal shock
Vasodilatory shock

Organ failure
Acute renal failure
Acute respiratory distress syndrome
Acute liver failure
Respiratory failure
Multiple organ dysfunction syndrome

* Neonatal infection
* Polytrauma
* Coma

|

Complications|

* Critical illness polyneuropathy / myopathy
* Critical illness–related corticosteroid insufficiency
* Decubitus ulcers
* Fungemia
* Stress hyperglycemia
* Stress ulcer

Iatrogenesis|

* Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus
* Oxygen toxicity
* Refeeding syndrome
* Ventilator-associated lung injury
* Ventilator-associated pneumonia
* Dialytrauma

Diagnosis|

* Arterial blood gas
* Catheter
* Arterial line
* Central venous catheter
* Pulmonary artery catheter
* Blood cultures
* Screening cultures

Life-supporting treatments|

* Airway management and mechanical ventilation
* Tracheal intubation
* Cardiac devices
* Intra-aortic balloon pump
* Ventricular assist device
* Chest tube
* Kidney dialysis
* Early goal-directed therapy
* Induced coma
* Nutritional supplementation
* Enteral feeding
* Total parenteral nutrition
* Therapeutic hypothermia

Drugs|

* Analgesics
* Antibiotics
* Antithrombotics
* Inotropes
* Intravenous fluids
* Neuromuscular-blocking drugs
* Recombinant activated protein C
* Sedatives
* Stress ulcer prevention drugs
* Vasopressors

ICU scoring systems|

* APACHE II
* Glasgow Coma Scale
* PIM2
* SAPS II
* SAPS III
* SOFA

Physiology|

* Hemodynamics
* Hypotension
* Level of consciousness
* Acid–base imbalance
* Water-electrolyte imbalance

Organisations|

* Society of Critical Care Medicine
* Surviving Sepsis Campaign
* European Society of Paediatric and Neonatal Intensive Care

Related specialties|

* Anesthesiology
* Internal medicine
* Cardiology
* Neurology
* Pulmonology
* Pediatrics
* Surgery
* Traumatology

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