Journal of Medical and Surgical Intensive Care Medicine 2012 , Vol 3, Issue 1
Retrospective Evaluation of Surgical and Medical Patients Admitted to a Mixed Intensive Care Unit
Neriman Defne Altıntaş 1 , Seval İzdeş 2 , Pelin Şen 2 , Hakan Öcal 2 , Abdülkadir But 2
1Ankara Atatürk Eğitim ve Araştırma Hastanesi, İç Hastalıkları Yoğun Bakım Ünitesi, Ankara, Türkiye
2Ankara Atatürk Eğitim ve Araştırma Hastanesi, Anestezi ve Reanimasyon Kliniği, Ankara, Türkiye
DOI : 10.5152/dcbybd.2012.02

Aim: Characteristics, need for organ support therapies and lengths of stay of surgical and medical patients in a mixed intensive care unit (ICU) were compared for effective utilization of ICU beds in mixed ICU’s.   

Material and Methods: The prospectively collected data of 154 patients who were cared for in our mixed ICU between 01.03.2010 and 31.07.2010, were retrospectively evaluated. The patients were grouped into two as medical and surgical patients. Trauma patients were included in the surgical patients group. The demographic data, APACHE II scores, invasive procedures performed, ICU and hospital lengths of stay (LOS) were analysed using the Mann-Whitney U, Chi-square, student’s t-test and Spearman’s correlation test. 

Results: Of the 154 patients, 55 (35.7%) were medical and 99 (64.3%) were surgical patients. Of the surgical patients, 7 (7.1%) were non-operated patients admitted after trauma. Groups were similar in age, sex, APACHE II scores, and expected mortality rates. The number of intubated patients, patients needing invasive hemodynamic monitorization, transfusion or central venous catheterisation were similar in both groups. However, in the medical patients group, the need for hemodialysis or tracheostomy was significantly higher (p<0.001, p=0.039). Also, the medical patient ICU LOS, ICU and hospital mortality were significantly higher than the surgical group (p<0.001, p=0.002).  There was a weak,  positive, statistically significant correlation between ICU LOS and APACHE II score (r=0.261; p=0.007).

Conclusion: Even though the APACHE II scores may be similar, medical patients required organ support systems more often, and their LOS and mortalities were higher compared to the surgical patients in our ICU. During the planning of ICU admissions, keeping this knowledge in mind will optimize utilization of the ICU beds.  

Keywords : Triage, admission capacity, patient admission, admission planning