long-term follow-up (CIMbA-LT)

Funding Information: Collaborators of the CIMBA-LT study: Hospital Vila Franca de Xira: André Oliveira; João Gonçalves-Pereira; Joaquim Lima. Centro Hospitalar de Médio Tejo (Abrantes): Rui Assis; Joana Monteiro. Hospital Nélio Mendonça (Funchal): André Simões; Catarina Lume. Centro Hospitalar de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro (Vila Real): Maria João Pinto. Centro Hospitalar de Vila Nova de Gaia: Sara Pipa. Hospital de Braga: Laura Costa. Hospital de Bragança: Cristina Nunes. Hospital do Divino Espírito Santo (S. Miguel): Manuela Henriques; Luís Tavares. Hospital de Leiria: Filipa Sequeira. Centro Hospitalar Universitário de S.João (Porto): José-Artur Paiva; Tatiana Santos Vieira; Núria Jorge. Centro Hospital Universitário de Lisboa Norte (Lisboa): Ana Bento Rodrigues; Susana Fernandes; João Ribeiro. Hospital S.Francisco Xavier (Lisboa): Rui Morais; Pedro Póvoa; Luís Coelho. Centro Hospitalar Universitário de Coimbra: Ana Martinho; Iolanda Santos. Hospital Egas Moniz (Lisboa): Gabriela Almeida. Hospital de Beja: Alexandra Paula; Filipe Morais de Almeida. Centro Hospitalar Universitário do Algarve (Faro): Sofia Ribeiro. Publisher Copyright: © 2023, The Author(s). Background: The past years have witnessed dramatic changes in the population admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU). Older and sicker patients are now commonly treated in this setting due to the newly available sophisticated life support. However, the short- and long-term benefit of this strategy is scarcely studied. Methods: The Critically Ill patients’ mortality by age: Long-Term follow-up (CIMbA-LT) was a multicentric, nationwide, retrospective, observational study addressing short- and long-term prognosis of patients admitted to Portuguese multipurpose ICUs, during 4 years, according to their age and disease severity. Patients were followed for two years after ICU admission. The standardized hospital mortality ratio (SMR) was calculated according to the Simplified Acute Physiology Score (SAPS) II and the follow-up risk, for patients discharged alive from the hospital, according to official demographic national data for age and gender. Survival curves were plotted according to age group. Results: We included 37.118 patients, including 15.8% over 80 years old. The mean SAPS II score was 42.8 ± 19.4. The ICU all-cause mortality was 16.1% and 76% of all patients survive until hospital discharge. The SAPS II score overestimated hospital mortality [SMR at hospital discharge 0.7; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.63–0.76] but accurately predicted one-year all-cause mortality [1-year SMR 1.01; (95% CI 0.98–1.08)]. Survival curves showed a peak in mortality, during the first 30 days, followed by a much slower survival decline thereafter. Older patients had higher short- and long-term mortality and their hospital SMR was also slightly higher (0.76 vs. 0.69). Patients discharged alive from the hospital had a 1-year relative mortality risk of 6.3; [95% CI 5.8–6.7]. This increased risk was higher for younger patients [21.1; (95% CI 15.1–39.6) vs. 2.4; (95% CI 2.2–2.7) for older patients]. Conclusions: Critically ill patients’ mortality peaked in the first 30 days after ICU admission. Older critically ill patients had higher all-cause mortality, including a higher hospital SMR. A long-term increased relative mortality risk was noted in patients discharged alive from the hospital, but this was more noticeable in younger patients. publishersversion published