SynthesisBMJ open2021
Quality of life in elderly ICU survivors before the COVID-19 pandemic: a systematic review and meta-analysis of cohort studies.
Synthesis in BMJ open, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 13 papers.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Who cites it
13 citing papers in PubMed, 21 citations in OpenAlex.
- Impaired Pre-Critical Illness Quality of Life in Elderly ICU Patients.Acta anaesthesiologica Scandinavica · 2026Observational
- Distinct Health-Related Quality of Life Recovery Trajectories Among ICU Survivors: A Multicentre Prospective Cohort Study Using the EQ-5D-5L.Nursing in critical care · 2026Observational
- Trends, Predictors, and Outcomes of Monitored Acute Care Unit Admissions in Older Adults: 10-Year Retrospective Analysis.Interactive journal of medical research · 2026Article
- Health-Related Quality of Life and Mobility Levels in ICU Survivors with Heel Pressure Ulcer: An Observational Study.Nursing reports (Pavia, Italy) · 2026Article
- Pre-ICU hospital length of stay and 30-day mortality in the very old: a national cohort of 315 042 ICU admissions.Annals of intensive care · 2026Article
- Associations Between Physical, Cognitive, and Mental Health Domains of Post-Intensive Care Syndrome and Quality of Life: A Longitudinal Multicenter Cohort Study.Critical care medicine · 2025Article
- Assessment of quality of life for frail, elderly patients post-ICU discharge: a protocol for a scoping review.BMJ open · 2024Article
- "I was afraid to go to the hospital": A qualitative analysis and ethical implications of the impacts of COVID-19 on the health and medical care of older adults in Ethiopia.SAGE open medicine · 2024Article
- The role of clinical phenotypes in decisions to limit life-sustaining treatment for very old patients in the ICU.Annals of intensive care · 2023Article
- The impact of age on intensive care.Ageing research reviews · 2023Review
- Health-related quality of life among critically ill patients after discharge from the ICU-A systematic review protocol.PloS one · 2023Article
- Elderly Patients and Management in Intensive Care Units (ICU): Clinical Challenges.Clinical interventions in aging · 2023Review
- Outcomes of COVID-19 Critically Ill Extremely Elderly Patients: Analysis of a Large, National, Observational Cohort.Journal of clinical medicine · 2022Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
6 authors at 4 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
Abstract
objectivesThe influence of age on intensive care unit (ICU) decision-making is complex, and it is unclear if it is based on expected subjective or objective patient outcomes. To address recent concerns over age-based ICU decision-making, we explored patient-assessed quality of life (QoL) in ICU survivors before the COVID-19 pandemic.
designA systematic review and meta-analysis of cohort studies published between January 2000 and April 2020, of elderly patients admitted to ICUs. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: We extracted data on self-reported QoL (EQ-5D composite score), demographic and clinical variables. Using a random-effect meta-analysis, we then compared QoL scores at follow-up to scores either before admission, age-matched population controls or younger ICU survivors. We conducted sensitivity analyses to study heterogeneity and bias and a qualitative synthesis of subscores.
resultsWe identified 2536 studies and included 22 for qualitative synthesis and 18 for meta-analysis (n=2326 elderly survivors). Elderly survivors' QoL was significantly worse than younger ICU survivors, with a small-to-medium effect size (d=0.35 (-0.53 and -0.16)). Elderly survivors' QoL was also significantly greater when measured slightly before ICU, compared with follow-up, with a small effect size (d=0.26 (-0.44 and -0.08)). Finally, their QoL was also marginally significantly worse than age-matched community controls, also with a small effect size (d=0.21 (-0.43 and 0.00)). Mortality rates and length of follow-up partly explained heterogeneity. Reductions in QoL seemed primarily due to physical health, rather than mental health items.
conclusionsThe results suggest that the proportionality of age as a determinant of ICU resource allocation should be kept under close review and that subjective QoL outcomes should inform person-centred decision -aking in elderly ICU patients. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42020181181.
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