Zeitschrift für klinische Forschung und Bioethik

Abstrakt

Are Intensive Care and Dementia Incompatible?

Maia Goncalves A, Costa S, Morais J, Dias R, Bernardo S

Dementia is an increasingly relevant, recurrent, ethical and clinical challenge in contemporary medicine. The present
study aimed to assess whether admission of these patients in intensive care units (ICU) should be considered or
excluded. Clinicians (internists, intensivists and neurologists) were asked to answer this question, and also to rank the
criteria they considered most relevant in refusing admission to an ICU.
For most doctors, dementia per se does not preclude admission in ICU. Functional reserve and degree of disability
were the most important factors, followed by cognitive impairment and comorbidities. Family expectations and age
were the least important variables when considering admission.