Exploring the Characteristics and Outcomes of Centenarian Patients Admitted to Intensive Care Units: A Systematised Narrative Review.

Centenarians are among the most rapidly expanding age demographics in Australia and are being admitted to intensive care units (ICUs) at historically high rates. Nonetheless, the current literature has not investigated the outcomes and pre-admission characteristics of this vulnerable population in sufficient depth to meaningfully guide clinical practice. This narrative literature review aimed to synthesise the existing literature on ICU admissions in centenarians and identify previously reported pre-admission characteristics and outcomes. This systematised narrative review employed a structured search strategy guided by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) principles and used the Population, Concept, Context (PCC) framework to aid in defining the scope. A systematic search strategy was performed in Medline (Ovid interface), with inclusion criteria aimed at capturing primary research that investigated centenarians admitted to critical care and was published in English. Covidence was used to screen articles via title, abstract, and full-text review. Key data were extracted from studies into a predetermined table. Analysis of the current literature suggested that although clinicians often perceive ICU admission of centenarians as a high-risk practice, certain patients may recover to their baseline functional levels. However, the existing literature is scant and limited by small sample sizes. Substantial knowledge gaps exist, particularly regarding the predictors of successful ICU outcomes, functional recovery, and quality of life outcomes. This narrative review demonstrates the need for large-scale, multicentre observational studies to influence clinical decision-making regarding centenarians in the ICU and to guide critical care triage policies for centenarians.