RT Journal
A1 Jelinek M
T1 IS concentration on more intensive treatment for younger patients more rational and humane than ignorant?
JF Archives of Internal Medicine
JO Archives of Internal Medicine
YR 2009
FD August 10
VO 169
IS 15
SP 1442
OP 1442
DO 10.1001/archinternmed.2009.241
UL http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/archinternmed.2009.241
AB 
From a risk management perspective, a fatal error in a 50-year-old patient with ACS would result in a loss of 26 years of life expectancy. A similar fatal error in an 80-year-old patient would result in a loss of 7 years of life expectancy. This is a loss of life expectancy of 19 years more in the younger than in the older patient. If we considered the loss of quality-adjusted life years, the difference in quality-adjusted life expectancy would be even greater. Most practitioners have an intuitive feel that this sort of error is worse in a younger than in an older patient.