A randomised controlled trial of a care home rehabilitation service to reduce long-term institutionalisation for elderly people

OBJECTIVES: to evaluate the effect of a care home rehabilitation service on institutionalisation, health outcomes and service use. DESIGN: randomised controlled trial, stratified by Barthel ADL index, social service sector and whether living alone. The intervention was a rehabilitation service based in Social Services old people's homes in Nottingham, UK. The control group received usual health and social care. PARTICIPANTS: 165 elderly and disabled hospitalised patients who wished to go home but were at high risk of institutionalisation (81 intervention, 84 control). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: institutionalisation rates, Barthel ADL index, Nottingham Extended ADL score, General Health Questionnaire (12 item version) at 3 and 12 months, Health and Social Service resource use. RESULTS: the number of participants institutionalised was similar at 3 months (relative risk 1.04, 95% confidence intervals 0.65-1.65) and 12 months (relative risk 1.23, 95% confidence intervals 0.75-2.02). Barthel ADL Index, Nottingham Extended ADL score and General Health Questionnaire scores were similar at 3 and 12 months. The intervention group spent significantly fewer days in hospital over 3 and 12 months (mean reduction 12.1 and 27.6 days respectively, P < 0.01), but spent a mean of 36 days in a care home rehabilitation service facility. CONCLUSIONS: this service did not reduce institutionalisation, but diverted patients from the hospital to social services sector without major effects on activity levels or well-being.     

Incidence and prevalence of complaints of the neck and upper extremity in general practice

OBJECTIVE: To study the incidence and prevalence of neck and upper extremity musculoskeletal complaints in Dutch general practice. METHODS: Data were obtained from the second Dutch national survey of general practice. In all, 195 general practitioners (GPs) from 104 practices across the Netherlands recorded all contacts with patients during 12 consecutive months. Incidence densities and consultation rates were calculated. RESULTS: The total number of contacts during the registration period of one year was 1 524 470. The most commonly reported complaint was neck symptoms (incidence 23.1 per 1000 person-years), followed by shoulder symptoms (incidence 19.0 per 1000 person-years). Sixty six GP consultations per 1000 person-years were attributable to a new complaint or new episode of complaint of the neck or upper extremity (incidence density). In all, the GPs were consulted 147 times per 1000 registered persons for complaints of the neck or upper extremity. For most complaints the incidence densities and consultation rates were higher for women than for men. CONCLUSIONS: Neck and upper extremity symptoms are common in Dutch general practice. The GP is consulted approximately seven times each week for a complaint relating to the neck or upper extremity; of these, three are new complaints or new episodes. Attention should be paid to training GPs to deal with neck and upper limb complaints, and to research on the prognosis and treatment of these common complaints in primary care.     

Impact of language barriers on patient satisfaction in an emergency department

OBJECTIVE: To examine patient satisfaction and willingness to return to an emergency department (ED) among non-English speakers. DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey and follow-up interviews 10 days after ED visit. SETTING: Five urban teaching hospital EDs in the Northeastern United States. PATIENTS: We surveyed 2,333 patients who presented to the ED with one of six chief complaints. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Patient satisfaction, willingness to return to the same ED if emergency care was needed, and patient-reported problems with care were measured. Three hundred fifty-four (15%) of the patients reported English was not their primary language. Using an overall measure of patient satisfaction, only 52% of non-English-speaking patients were satisfied as compared with 71% of English speakers (p < .01). Among non-English speakers, 14% said they would not return to the same ED if they had another problem requiring emergency care as compared with 9.5% of English speakers (p < .05). In multivariate analysis adjusting for hospital site, age, gender, race/ethnicity, education, income, chief complaint, urgency, insurance status, Medicaid status, ED as the patient's principal source of care, and presence of a regular provider of care, non-English speakers were significantly less likely to be satisfied (odds ratio [OR] 0.59; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.39, 0.90) and significantly less willing to return to the same ED (OR 0.57; 95% CI 0.34, 0.95). Non-English speakers also were significantly more likely to report overall problems with care (OR 1.70; 95% CI 1.05, 2.74), communication (OR 1.71; 95% CI 1.18, 2.47), and testing (OR 1.77; 95% CI 1.19, 2.64). CONCLUSIONS: Non-English speakers were less satisfied with their care in the ED, less willing to return to the same ED if they had a problem they felt required emergency care, and reported more problems with emergency care. Strategies to improve satisfaction among this group of patients may include appropriate use of professional interpreters and increasing the language concordance between patients and providers.     

Use of emergency departments by elderly patients: projections from a multicenter data base.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: To assess the use of emergency medical care by the elderly in the United States, including emergency department visits, level of ED care required, ambulance services, and hospital admission rate. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: A multicenter computerized data base of 70 hospitals in 25 states. DESIGN: A retrospective review of elderly patients seeking ED care and comparison of elderly and nonelderly patients. The data were then used to estimate the use of emergency medical services nationally. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Fifteen percent of the 1,193,743 ED visits were made by patients 65 years or older. Thirty-two percent of elderly patients seen in EDs were admitted to the hospital, compared with 7.5% of nonelderly patients. Seven percent of elderly patients were admitted to ICUs, compared with 1% of nonelderly patients. Thirty percent of elderly patients seeking emergency care used ambulance transports compared with 8% of nonelderly. It is estimated that 13,693,400 elderly patients were seen in EDs in 1990, with more than 4 million patients admitted to hospitals. Compared with the nonelderly, the elderly are 4.4 times more likely to use ambulance transport, 5.6 times more likely to be admitted to the hospital, 5.5 times more likely to be admitted to an intensive care bed, and 6.1 times more likely to be classified as a comprehensive ED level of service. In our sample, 36% of all patients arriving by ambulance to the ED, 43% of all ED admissions, and 48% of all intensive care admissions were geriatric patients. CONCLUSION: With the rapid growth of the size of the elderly population, it is important that we assess the emergency medical resources needed to care for the geriatric population.     

Shoulder disorders in general practice: incidence, patient characteristics, and management.

OBJECTIVES--To study the incidence and management of intrinsic shoulder disorders in Dutch general practice, and to evaluate which patient characteristics are associated with specific diagnostic categories. METHODS--In 11 general practices (35,150 registered patients) all consultations concerning shoulder complaints were registered during a period of one year. Patients with an intrinsic shoulder disorder who had not consulted their general practitioner for the complaint during the preceding year (incident cases) were asked to participate in an observational study. Participants completed a questionnaire regarding the nature and severity of their complaints. The general practitioners recorded data on diagnosis and therapy. RESULTS--The cumulative incidence of shoulder complaints in general practice was estimated to be 11.2/1000 patients/year (95% confidence limits 10.1 to 12.3). Rotator cuff tendinitis was the most frequently recorded disorder (29%). There were 349 incident cases enrolled in the observational study. Patient characteristics showed small variations between different diagnostic categories. Age, duration of symptoms, precipitating cause and restriction of movement seemed to be discriminating factors. Twenty two percent of all participants received injections during the first consultation; most (85%) were diagnosed as having bursitis. The majority of patients with tendinitis (53%) were referred for physiotherapy. CONCLUSION--With respect to diagnosis and treatment, the practitioners generally appeared to follow the guidelines issued by the Dutch College of General Practitioners. Although the patient characteristics of specific disorders showed some similarities with the clinical pictures described in the literature, further research is required to demonstrate whether the proposed syndromes indeed constitute separate disorders with a different underlying pathology, requiring different treatment strategies.     

Old people in the emergency room: age-related differences in emergency department use and care

Little is known about how the care received in emergency departments (ED) by the elderly population differs from that received by younger people. We prospectively abstracted ED records of 1620 consecutive patients visiting a large community hospital ED over a 22-day period in 1984 for demographic and medical variables. Charts of patients presenting with five specific complaints (dyspnea, chest pain, abdominal pain, syncope, and motor vehicle accidents) were also analyzed for process of care variables and, for patients hospitalized, the accuracy of the ED diagnosis. Older people (ie, those greater than or equal to 65 years of age) do not seem to be overutilizers of the ED for minor complaints, in fact, they tend to be more acutely ill on presentation than younger people. Older people were more likely to be hospitalized (46% v 10%, P less than .001), to arrive by ambulance (35% v 10%, P less than .001), and to have an identified source of primary care (95% v 64%, P less than .01). Older people stayed longer in the ED than younger people if they were eventually released home but shorter if admitted to the hospital. Test ordering patterns for specific complaints varied by patient age (eg, older patients had more electrocardiograms performed for chest pain and fewer urinalyses for abdominal pain than younger patients). Therapy for specific complaints showed less age effect. Although generally more diagnostic tests were performed on older patients, the ED diagnosis tended to be more accurate for younger patients. Our data indicate that the process of ED care may be substantially different for the elderly population and have implications for future planning and financing of medical care.     

Frequent use of the hospital emergency department is indicative of high use of other health care services

STUDY OBJECTIVE: We sought to determine the proportion of emergency department patients who frequently use the ED and to compare their frequency of use of other health care services at non-ED sites. METHODS: A computerized patient database covering all ambulatory visits and hospital admissions at all care facilities in the county of Stockholm, Sweden, was used. Frequent ED patients were defined as those making 4 or more visits in a 12-month period. RESULTS: Frequent users comprised 4% of total ED patients, accounting for 18% of the ED visits. The ED was the only source of ambulatory care for 13% of frequent versus 27% of rare ED users (1 ED visit). Primary care visits were made by 72% of frequent ED users versus 57% by rare ED visitors. The corresponding figures for hospital admission were 80% and 36%, respectively. Frequent ED visitors were also more likely to use other care facilities repeatedly: their odds ratio (adjusted for age and sex) was 3.43 (95% confidence interval [CI] 3.10 to 3.78) for 5 or more primary care visits and 29.98 (95% CI 26.33 to 34.15) for 5 or more hospital admissions. In addition, heavy users had an elevated mortality (standardized mortality ratio 1.55; 95% CI 1.26 to 1.90). CONCLUSION: High ED use patients are also high users of other health care services, presumably because they are sicker than average. A further indication of serious ill health is their higher than expected mortality. This knowledge might be helpful for care providers in their endeavors to find appropriate ways of meeting the needs of this vulnerable patient category.     

Effects of a Geriatrician-Led Hip Fracture Program: Improvements in Clinical and Economic Outcomes

The hip fracture service (HFS) is an interdisciplinary, geriatrician-led program instituted to improve the care of frail elderly people who present to the hospital with acute hip fracture. The HFS pilot project used existing hospital personnel and facilities and initiated new practices, including set protocols, preprinted orders, and standardized assessments, to achieve and evaluate patient triage and care and hospital cost savings. Outcome measures for 91 patients with acute hip fracture consecutively admitted to the HFS were compared with those of 72 historical controls managed under standard care in the prior year. Analysis demonstrated better outcomes in terms of length of stay (6.1±2.4 days for standard care, 4.6±1.1 days for the HFS; P <.001) and time to surgery (<24 hours after admission in 22.2% of standard care patients vs 50.5% of HFS patients; P <.001). Furthermore, the HFS model showed a reduction in total costs, resulting in a gain in net income, from a deficit of $908±4,977 (95% confidence interval (CI)=−$2,078–261) per patient in the standard group to a gain of $1,047±2,718 (95% CI=$481–1,613) per patient in the HFS group ( P <.002). The findings suggest that care with set protocols overseen by a trained lead physician may improve the quality and cost effectiveness of managing elderly patients with hip fracture. Although the results must be interpreted with caution because of the pre-post design, this pilot study provides a model of care for further hypothesis generation and more rigorous testing into the quality and financial benefits of a geriatrics-led care process.     

Incidence and predictors of all and preventable adverse drug reactions in frail elderly persons after hospital stay

BACKGROUND: Adverse drug reactions (ADR) negatively impact life quality and are sometimes fatal. This study examines the incidence and predictors of all and preventable ADRs in frail elderly persons after hospital discharge, a highly vulnerable but rarely studied population. METHODS: The design was a prospective cohort study involving 808 frail elderly persons who were discharged from 11 Veteran Affairs hospitals to outpatient care. The main outcome measure was number of ADRs per patient as determined by blinded geriatrician and geropharmacist pairs using Naranjo's ADR algorithm. For all ADRs (possible, probable, or definite), preventability was assessed. Discordances were resolved by consensus conferences. RESULTS: Overall, 33% of patients had one or more ADRs for a rate of 1.92 per 1000 person-days of follow-up. The rate for preventable ADRs was 0.71 per 1000 person-days of follow-up. Independent risk factors for all ADRs were number of medications (adjusted [Adj.] hazard ratio [HR], 1.07; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.05-1.10 per medication), use of warfarin (Adj. HR, 1.51; 95% CI, 1.22-1.87), and (marginally) the use of benzodiazepines (Adj. HR, 1.23; 95% CI, 0.95-1.58). Counterintuitively, use of sedatives and/or hypnotics was inversely related to ADR risk (Adj. HR, 0.14; 95% CI, 0.04-0.57). Similar trends were seen for number of medications and warfarin use as predictors of preventable ADRs. CONCLUSIONS: ADRs are very common in frail elderly persons after hospital stay, and polypharmacy and warfarin use consistently increase the risk of ADRs.     

A longitudinal study of the occurrence of joint complaints in elderly people.

Joint complaints were studied in two cohorts longitudinally followed at 4-5 year intervals between the ages of 70 and 79, representative of the elderly population of G?teborg, Sweden. Joint complaints were reported by 30-43% of the women and by 15-25% of the men. A significant increase of joint complaints was found in both sexes between the ages of 70 and 75 but not thereafter. The knee joints were the most common site of complaints in both sexes. Complaints were not consistently reported by the probands at all examinations, however, and a 'disappearance' of complaints with age was found. Complaints on all three occasions were reported by 15% of the women and 3% of the men. An association was observed between repeatedly reported complaints and radiographic osteoarthritis as well as with self-reported rheumatoid arthritis.     

Problem behavior in the last year of life: prevalence, risks, and care receipt in older Americans

OBJECTIVES: To estimate the prevalence of problem behavior in the last year of life in older people and to explore risk factors and assess the effect of behaviors on access to care. DESIGN: Retrospective analysis of data from the 1993 National Mortality Followback Survey, conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS). SETTING: Persons who resided and died in the United States (except South Dakota) in 1993. PARTICIPANTS: Seven thousand six hundred and eighty-four deaths in people age 65 and older were included, from which full informant interview data were available for 6,748 decedents (88%). MEASUREMENTS: Informant data were collected on frequency of complaints about behavior from family members, complaints from others in the community, bizarre behavior, destroying property, violent threats or attempts, and temper tantrums. RESULTS: Overall, 20% of decedents were reported as having any of the problem behaviors sometimes or often in the last year of life. Rates differed little by age at death or gender. Risks of having problem behaviors were higher for those with clinically diagnosed dementia, mental illness, alcohol abuse, and bronchitis or emphysema. A diagnosis of dementia had been made in 27% of those with behavior problems. Nursing homes or healthcare facilities were the usual residence of 32% of people with any behavior problems sometimes or often during their last year of life. Informants for decedents who had destroyed property or made violent threats were 2.3 times (95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.2-4.4) more likely to report that the subject had not received the care they had needed during the last year of life. CONCLUSION: Problem behavior is relatively common in older people in the last year of life and is not confined to nursing home residents or people suffering from dementia.     

Potentially reversible risk factors and urinary incontinence in frail older people living in community

BACKGROUND: urinary incontinence is a common problem among older people living in different community settings. The multifactorial origin of urinary incontinence has been largely addressed and many previous studies have identified several reversible factors associated with incontinence. However, few data exist concerning the potentially reversible causes of this condition among frail community-dwelling older individuals. OBJECTIVE: the aim of the present study is to estimate, in a large population of frail elderly people living in the community, the prevalence of urinary incontinence and to determine physical, social, and psychological factors associated with it. DESIGN: observational study. Subjects and methods: we analysed data from a large collaborative observational study group, the Italian Silver Network Home Care project, that collected data on patients admitted to home care programmes (n=5418). A total of 22 Home Health Agencies participated in this project evaluating the implementation of the Minimum Data Set for Home Care instrument. The main outcome measures were the prevalence and factors associated with urinary incontinence. RESULTS: urinary incontinence was recorded in 51% of patients, and it was more common in women than men (52% versus 49%, respectively; P=0.01). After adjustment for each of the variables considered in this study, three potentially reversible factors were strongly associated with urinary incontinence: urinary tract infection (adjusted odds ratio, 3.46; 95% confidence interval, 2.65-4.51), use of physical restraints (adjusted odds ratio, 3.20; 95% confidence interval, 2.19-4.68), environmental barriers (adjusted odds ratio, 1.53; 95% confidence interval, 1.15-2.02). These associations were consistent in both men and women. CONCLUSIONS: the major finding of our study is that potentially reversible factors were strongly and independently associated with urinary incontinence. Failure to make all reasonable efforts to assess and to treat all these factors among frail elderly people should be considered one of the most important indicators of poor quality of care.     

A Geriatric Emergency Service for Acutely Ill Elderly Patients: Pattern of Use and Comparison with a Conventional Emergency Department in Italy

The current disease‐oriented, episodic model of emergency care does not adequately address the complex needs of older adults presenting to emergency departments (EDs). Dedicated ED facilities with a specific organization (e.g., geriatric EDs (GEDs)) have been advocated. One of the few GED experiences in the world is described and its outcomes compared with those of a conventional ED (CED). In a secondary analysis of a prospective observational cohort of 200 acutely ill elderly patients presenting to two urban EDs in Ancona, Italy, identifiers and triage, clinical, and social data were collected and the following outcomes considered: early (30‐day) and late (6‐month) ED revisit, frequent ED return, hospital admission, and functional decline. Death, functional decline, any ED revisit and any hospital admission were also considered as a composite outcome. Odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated. Overall, GED patients were older and frailer than CED patients. The two EDs did not differ in terms of early, late, or frequent ED return or in 6‐month hospital admission or functional decline. The mortality rate was slightly but significantly lower in the GED patients (hazard ratio=0.47, 95% CI=0.22–0.99, P=.047). The data suggest noninferiority and, indirectly, a slight superiority for the GED system in the acute care of elderly people, supporting the hypothesis that ED facilities specially designed for older adults may provide better care.     

Factors associated with municipality officers' recognition of relief for elderly life in each municipalities: the community health care white paper survey

To elucidate the present condition about health, medicine and welfare, and to evaluate factors associated with relief for elderly life in each community, a questionnaire survey was conducted among officers of all the municipalities in Japan. We asked officers about their recognition whether older people can live feeling relieved or not, and other factors about health, medicine and welfare condition in each municipality. Demographic data of each municipality were also used as dependent variables. Odds ratios and their 95% confidence intervals for the officers' evaluation of relief for life of the elderly were calculated using unconditional logistic models. Of the 3.252 municipalities, 3,059 (94%) responded to the survey. Of the respondents, 2,957 municipalities (91%) answered questions about relief for elderly life. "Receiving satisfactory medical home care service", "cooperative function between medicine, health, and welfare sections", and "receiving complete welfare service" were associated with their recognition about relief for elderly life in both of cities and rural towns. In addition, "the rate of elderly households" and "the easiness to maintain nursing staff" were associated in the cities. This study indicated that more arrangements are needed not only about health and welfare aspects, but also about medical service, especially medical home care service systems to support older peoples' life in the community.     

A study of the long-term continuation rate of respiratory rehabilitation in a day care service]

The purpose of this study is to report on the continuation rate of an outpatient pulmonary rehabilitation service for people with pulmonary disease. In Japan, Kaigo Hoken, the long-term care insurance system for the elderly, went into effect on April 1, 2000. Under this system, a special day care service was established in our hospital in order to continue outpatient rehabilitation for the elderly with pulmonary diseases. In the present study we analyzed the continuation rate of pulmonary rehabilitation in day care for a period of 2 years. Sixty-five stable patients with chronic respiratory failure were enrolled in the program. The continuation rates for 1 year and 2 years were 67.7% and 50.8%. We found that the continuation rate was high even for patients over 75 years old. Twenty patients died during the course of the program. When these 20 cases are excluded, the continuation rates for one year and 2 years become 88.9% and 73.3%. Our day care is the first service of its kind in Japan designed specifically for chronic pulmonary disease patients. It also includes a pick-up service and social activity support. In the future, the use of social resources like our day care service for the elderly with pulmonary diseases may play an important and beneficial role in continuing outpatient rehabilitation.     

Prognostic value of depressive symptoms on mortality,morbidity and nursing home admission in older people

Aim: Depression is frequently encountered in hospitalized elderly persons. Studies have found an independent association between depressive symptoms, mortality and functional decline. Only a few studies look specifically at other potential effects of depressive symptoms, such as subsequent hospital readmission or nursing home admission. In this study, we aim to investigate the association between the presence of depressive symptoms and nursing home placement, hospital admission and mortality in a group of geriatric outpatients receiving rehabilitation. Methods: All community dwelling elderly patients with no history of depression or cognitive impairment who were new attendances of a geriatric day hospital of a regional hospital in Hong Kong were recruited. Baseline demographic data, medical comorbidities, functional status and presence of depressive symptoms defined as a Geriatric Depression Scale score of more than 8 were recorded. Outcome variables were mortality, nursing home admission and unplanned hospital admission rate at 1 year. Results: Two hundred and nine subjects were included with a mean age of 77.4 years (standard deviation, 7.6). There was no statistically significant difference on mortality at 1 year and nursing home admission. However, depressed subjects were found to have increased risk of hospital admission (odds ratio = 2.67, 95% confidence interval = 1.31, 5.32) and have more episodes of unplanned hospital admission (odds ratio = 1.52, 95% confidence interval = 1.1, 2.12). Conclusion: Elderly patients with depressive symptoms are associated with increased risk of hospital admission and greater inpatient service utilization, independent of their functional status. These results emphasize the need to improve the management of depressive symptoms and heighten the recognition and treatment of depression in the elderly population. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2011; 11: 174–179.     

A randomised controlled trial to assess the effectiveness and cost of a patient orientated self management approach to chronic inflammatory bowel disease

OBJECTIVES: We developed a patient centred approach to chronic disease self management by providing information designed to promote patient choice. We then conducted a randomised controlled trial of the approach in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) to assess whether it could alter clinical outcome and affect health service use. DESIGN: A multicentre cluster randomised controlled trial. SETTING: The trial was conducted in the outpatient departments of 19 hospitals with randomisation by treatment centre, 10 control sites, and nine intervention sites. For patients at intervention sites, an individual self management plan was negotiated and written information provided. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 700 patients with established inflammatory bowel disease were recruited. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Main outcome measures recorded at one year were: quality of life, health service resource use, and patient satisfaction. Secondary outcomes included measures of enablement-confidence to cope with the condition. RESULTS: One year following the intervention, self managing patients had made fewer hospital visits (difference -1.04 (95% confidence interval (CI) -1.43 to -0.65); p<0.001) without increase in the number of primary care visits, and quality of life was maintained without evidence of anxiety about the programme. The two groups were similar with respect to satisfaction with consultations. Immediately after the initial consultation, those who had undergone self management training reported greater confidence in being able to cope with their condition (difference 0.90 (95% CI 0.12-1.68); p<0.03). CONCLUSIONS: Adoption of this approach for the management of chronic disease such as IBD in the NHS and other managed health care organisations would considerably reduce health provision costs and benefit disease control.     

Hospitalized community-acquired pneumonia in the elderly: age- and sex-related patterns of care and outcome in the United States

Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is a frequent cause of hospital admission and death among elderly patients, but there is little information on age- and sex-specific incidence, patterns of care (intensive care unit admission and mechanical ventilation), resource use (length of stay and hospital costs), and outcome (mortality). We conducted an observational cohort study of all Medicare recipients, aged 65 years or older, hospitalized in nonfederal U.S. hospitals in 1997, who met ICD-9-CM-based criteria for CAP. We identified 623,718 hospital admissions for CAP (18.3 per 1,000 population > or = 65 years), of which 26,476 (4.3%) were from nursing homes and of which 66,045 (10.6%) died. The incidence rose five-fold and mortality doubled as age increased from 65-69 to older than 90 years. Men had a higher mortality, both unadjusted (odds ratio [OR]: 1.21 [95% CI: 1.19-1.23]) and adjusted for age, location before admission, underlying comorbidity, and microbiologic etiology (OR: 1.15 [95% CI: 1.13-1.17]). Mean hospital length of stay and costs per hospital admission were 7.6 days and $6,949. For those admitted to the intensive care unit (22.4%) and for those receiving mechanical ventilation (7.2%), mean length of stay and costs were 11.3 days and $14,294, and 15.7 days and $23,961, respectively. Overall hospital costs were $4.4 billion (6.3% of the expenditure in the elderly for acute hospital care), of which $2.1 billion was incurred by cases managed in intensive care units. We conclude that in the hospitalized elderly, CAP is a common and frequently fatal disease that often requires intensive care unit admission and mechanical ventilation and consumes considerable health care resources. The sex differences are of concern and require further investigation.