Table 1 Baseline characteristics of 1,903 patients who underwent emergent airway management, by age group
Patient characteristics | All patients (n = 1,903) | Age ≥ 65 years (n = 975) | Age < 65 years (n = 928) |
|---|---|---|---|
Age, median (IQR), years | 65 (50–77) | 77 (70–82) | 50 (36–58) |
Female sex (%) | 773 (40) | 431 (44) | 342 (37) |
Primary indication (%) | |||
 Medical encounters | 1,603 (84) | 840 (86) | 763 (82) |
  Altered mental status | 938 (49) | 395 (41) | 543 (59) |
  Respiratory failure | 515 (27) | 358 (37) | 157 (17) |
  Airway obstruction | 116 (6) | 77 (8) | 39 (4) |
  Other medical | 19 (1) | 5 (1) | 10 (1) |
 Trauma encounters | 300 (16) | 135 (14) | 165 (18) |
  Head trauma | 182 (10) | 79 (8) | 103 (11) |
  Facial/neck trauma | 53 (3) | 28 (3) | 25 (3) |
  Burn/inhalation | 42 (2) | 19 (2) | 23 (2) |
  Other trauma | 23 (1) | 9 (1) | 14 (2) |