Predicting intensive care and hospital outcome with the Dalhousie Clinical Frailty Scale: a pilot assessment

Charles J Fisher, Dharshi C Karalapillai, Michael John Bailey, Neil John Glassford, Rinaldo Bellomo, Daryl Andrew Jones

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleResearchpeer-review

33 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Frailty may help to predict intensive care unit (ICU) patient outcome. The Dalhousie Clinical Frailty Scale (DCFS) is validated to assess frailty in ambulatory settings but has not been investigated in Australian ICUs. We conducted a prospective three-month study of patients admitted to a tertiary level ICU. Within 24 hours of ICU admission, the next of kin or nurse in charge assigned a DCFS score to the patient. Data were obtained to assess the association between frailty and patient outcome. The DCFS score was completed in 205 of 348 (59 ) of eligible patient admissions. The mean DCFS score was 3.2 (?1.6). Overall frailty (DCFS >4) occurred in 28 of 205 patients (13 , confidence interval 9 to 17 ), 13 of 93 (15 , confidence interval 10 to 25 ) in patients aged >65 years and 5 of 11 (45 , confidence interval 21 to 71 ) in those >85 years. Patients with chronic liver disease (P
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)361-368
Number of pages8
JournalAnaesthesia and Intensive Care
Volume43
Issue number3
Publication statusPublished - 2015

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