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Abstract
We read with great interests the article by van Heerden et al.[1], which discussed a challenge intensivists today commonly encounter – very old patient population – as well as various aspects related to their admission decision. [...]if the same patient with marginal physiological reserve, for instance, develops severe hospital-acquired pneumonia after discharged to the general ward post-operatively, admitting him to the ICU for intubation and mechanical ventilation does not generate potential benefits (if any at all) comparable to that of a life-saving surgery. Having observed the patient in the ICU also provides the clinicians better insight on his physiological reserve and response to therapy, thereby facilitates prognostication and avoids prolonging further invasive procedures if deemed futile.Authors' contribution All authors contributed equally to this manuscript.Funding n/aDeclaration of Competing Interest The authors declare no competing interests.