Frailty and one year survival in patients admitted to the intensive care unit following a medical emergency team review: a retrospective registry-based study
Authors' conclusion
In this large cohort of ICU patients admitted after a MET review, frailty was independently associated with higher one-year mortality, with outcomes worsening progressively with incrementing CFS. Our findings highlight the importance of incorporating frailty assessment into MET and ICU decision-making to guide individualised, goal-concordant care.
Study context
- Population
- Adult patients (≥16 years) admitted to intensive care unit (ICU) after a ward medical emergency team (MET) review between 1 January 2018 and 30 June 2022 with a documented Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS) scorepatients included
- Participants
- 48,425 patients
- Exposure
- Frailty assessed categorically using the CFS 1-8, compared with CFS-1
- Outcome
- One-year mortality
- Follow-up
- One year
Methodological detailsAustralian and New Zealand Intensive Care Society Adult Patient Database, 184 ICUs, multivariable hierarchical logistic regression
- Australian and New Zealand Intensive Care Society Adult Patient Database
- 184 ICUs
- Multivariable hierarchical logistic regression
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Adjusted attributable mortality risk
+5.6%
95% CI 2.8–8.4%
CFS-2 vs CFS-1
Adjusted attributable mortality risk
+48.5%
95% CI 43.6–53.4%
CFS-8 vs CFS-1
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Baseline characteristics by frailty
- Patients with higher frailty scores were older, more likely to have treatment limitations and a greater chronic disease burden
Original publication
Frailty and one year survival in patients admitted to the intensive care unit following a medical emergency team review: a retrospective registry-based study. Resuscitation. Published 4 February 2026. doi:10.
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