Geriatric intensive care unit is a special
intensive care unit dedicated to management of critically ill
elderly.
Origin
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]
Nurses receive special training in critical care of elderly in their basic training, advanced and clinical training.[24][25][26]
Ventilators
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.
^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.
PMID12133012.
S2CID40143191.