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Abstract

How to cite this article: Ganesh KM, Krishna B. Utility of Clinical Frailty Scale in Intensive Care Unit. Indian J Crit Care Med 2025;29(4):289–290.

Keywords: Clinical frailty score, Frailty assessment, Frailty, Geriatric scores, Intensive care unit

Frailty is a clinical syndrome in the geriatric cohort of patients and is often associated with long-term dependency, poor outcomes and increased mortality. Frailty is a clinically recognizable state of increased vulnerability resulting from an aging-associated decline in reserve and function across multiple physiologic systems such that the ability to cope with every day or acute stressors is compromised.1 Frailty is often associated with sarcopenia, cognitive impairment and dementia, these symptoms are common with old age, but it is important to consider frailty as a separate syndrome. Hallmarks of frailty include slow walking speed, poor grip strength, unintended weight loss, low activity and exhaustion. Frailty is an independent risk factor for short-term mortality, and is also associated with prolonged intensive unit care (ICU) stays and poor quality of life, and dependency post-hospital discharge.2 A prospective cohort study demonstrated that frailty is not a static concept and can either increase or decrease on the clinical frailty score (CFS) post-ICU discharge, and rehabilitation plays a significant role in this phenomenon.3