Mortality In Medical Intensive Care Unit Research Articles

Outcome of Lung Cancer Patients Admitted to the Intensive Care Unit

In Brief We investigate the outcome of lung cancer patients admitted to the medical intensive care unit (MICU) and examine potential predictors of mortality. A retrospective quality assurance study of primary lung cancer patients admitted to the MICUs at 2 local tertiary care university hospitals from January 1, 1994 to May 12, 2004 was conducted (n = 69). Data on demographics and tumor-related data were collected using the hospital records of all patients admitted to MICU with a diagnosis of lung cancer. Statistical analysis was performed to determine the prognostic factors associated with MICU and hospital mortality as well as MICU and hospital lengths of stay. The MICU mortality rate was 50.7% and the mean MICU length of stay was 3.0 days. Multivariate analysis determined that Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE II) scores, Therapeutic Intervention Scoring System scores, and non-small cell lung cancer were significantly associated with MICU mortality, whereas age and APACHE II scores were associated with hospital mortality. Respiratory failure upon admission and use of a Swan Ganz monitor were predictors of increased MICU length of stay, and chemotherapy administration and mechanical ventilation predicted increased hospital length of stay. The 50.7% mortality rate for patients with previously or newly diagnosed primary lung cancer admitted to the MICU is lower than the previously reported mortality rate of 66.7% for a period of 1986. Although the mortality remains high, an improvement over the previous decade has occurred and is comparable to that for patients requiring MICU admission for other indications. There is a high mortality rate associated with medical intensive care unit (MICU) admission for patients with previously or newly diagnosed primary lung cancer. However, it has improved over the previous decade and is comparable to that among patients requiring MICU admission for other illness such as pneumonia, adult respiratory distress syndrome, sepsis, and cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

Outcome and prognostic factors of lung cancer patients admitted to the medical intensive care unit

The aim of the present study was to assess the outcome of lung cancer patients who were admitted to a medical intensive care unit (MICU) and to identify the measurable predictors of their MICU outcome. The retrospective study took place at the MICUs of a university-affiliated medical centre and involved adult lung cancer patients admitted to the MICU between January 1998 and October 2005. A total of 139 lung cancer patients were included during the study period. The mean age+/-sd at MICU admission was 64.2+/-10.2 yrs (48% males, 52% females). In total, 96 (69%) patients had nonsmall cell lung cancer, 18 (13%) patients had small cell lung cancer, and one patient had mesothelioma. The MICU mortality was 22% (31 patients), while the in-hospital mortality was 40% (56 patients). Sixty-eight (49%) patients required mechanical ventilation (MV), with MICU mortality of 38% and in-hospital mortality of 53%. The independent predictors of poor MICU outcome were: the need for MV; Acute Physiology And Chronic Health Evaluation III and Simplified Acute Physiology Score III scores; the use of vasopressors; positive blood cultures; high serum lactate; two or more organ system failures; and the need for adult cardiac life support. On multivariate analysis, only the need for vasopressors and the presence of two or more organ system failures predicted poor MICU outcome. The present study shows that the medical intensive care unit outcome of lung cancer patients is better than previously reported. Intensive care and mechanical ventilation should not be considered futile care in this patient population. While there were no absolute predictors of mortality, the need for vasopressors and the presence of two or more organ system failures predicted poor medical intensive care unit care.

Mortalité et facteurs pronostiques des patients cirrhotiques en encéphalopathie hépatique admis en réanimation

Objective To assess mortality and to identify variables that could predict it in cirrhotic patients hospitalized to the medical intensive care unit (MICU) for hepatic encephalopathy (HE). Study design Retrospective cohort study. Patients and methods From January 1995 to December 2004, the cirrhotic patients admitted consecutively in MICU were screened and those with altered level of consciousness were included. The MICU mortality rate was assessed. Nearly 80 variables were analyzed and compared between survivors and non-survivors. Statistical analysis: t test, χ 2 or Fisher exact tests, Kaplan-Meier and log rank, Cox regression analysis. Results A total of 180 patients (42 women - 138 men, mean age: 59 ± 10 years) were admitted (incidence: 2.6%). The SAPS II was 30.1 ± 11, Acute Physiology Age and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II): 16.5 ± 5.3, Child-Pugh score: 9.1 ± 1.9 and GCS: 11 ± 2.8. The causes of liver cirrhosis was identified in 41.2% of cases (viral: 35.6%, alcohol: 5.6%). Nearly 18% of patients had an antecedent of HE. The causes of HE were: infection (65.6%), upper gastrointestinal bleeding (32.2%), drugs (5%) and metabolic cause (5%). MICU mortality rate was 33.3% and seemed higher in gastrointestinal bleeding. Eighteen variables were significantly associated with poor prognosis in univariate analysis. Only three variables remained significant in multivariate analysis: systolic blood pressure < 90 mmHg (RR = 4; IC95% = 2–8.1), total WBC > 12 000 n/mm 3 (RR = 3.1; IC95% = 1.8–5.3) and use of mechanical ventilation (RR = 3.1; IC95% = 1.7–5.6). Conclusion The MICU mortality of cirrhotic patients with HE was high and significantly associated with haemodynamic instability, hyperleucocytosis and mechanical ventilation.

Impact of a Palliative Care Service on In-Hospital Mortality in a Comprehensive Cancer Center

Palliative care services provide symptom control and psychosocial support for dying patients and their families. These services are not available in many cancer centers and tertiary hospitals. The purpose of this study was to review the impact of a palliative care program, established in 1999, on overall in-hospital mortality. We reviewed the M. D. Anderson Cancer Center computerized database to determine the total number of deaths and discharges and the place of death for each fiscal year from 1999 to 2004. The median length of stay for patients who died in different locations within the hospital was calculated. Annual palliative care consultations for patients who subsequently died in the hospital were retrieved. The annual mortality rate for the cancer center was calculated. The overall in-hospital mortality rates were 3.6, 3.7, 3.6, 3.5, 3.6, and 3.7% of all discharges for the period 1999-2004 respectively (p > 0.2). The number of deaths in the medical intensive care unit (MICU) dropped from 252 in 671 (38%) in 1999 to 213 in 764 (28%) in 2004 (p < 0.0001). Involvement of the palliative care service in the care of patients dying in the hospital grew from 8 in 583 (1%) in 1999 to 264 in 764 (35%) in 2004 (p < 0.0001). The median length of hospital stay (MLOS) for patients who subsequently died in-hospital was significantly longer than that for patients who were discharged alive. Increased involvement by the palliative care service in the care of decedent patients was associated with a decreased MICU mortality and no change in overall hospital mortality rate or inpatient length of hospital stay.

MICU Mortality: Patterns and Implications for Therapy

PURPOSE: The goal of the critical care team has traditionally been to save patients at all costs. In the last fifteen years, however, it has been increasingly recognized that a second, equally important goal is to relieve suffering and help patients have a dignified death. We reviewed Medical Intensive Care Unit (MICU) mortality to determine how well we were meeting both goals.

Critically Ill Elderly Who Require Mechanical Ventilation: The Effects of Age on Survival Outcomes and Resource Utilisation in the Medical Intensive Care Unit of a General Hospital

Introduction: Advanced age has been a criterion for denying admission to the medical intensive care unit (MICU) due to the perceived poorer outcome and increased resource utilisation. We studied the relationship between age and outcome of the critically ill mechanically-ventilated patients admitted to the MICU. Materials and Methods: This prospective study included patients admitted to the MICU for mechanical ventilation between 1994 and 1998. These were divided into 2 cohorts, with 206 patients aged 65 and above and 159 below 65 years. Outcome measures were MICU and hospital mortality and length of stay (LOS) in the MICU and hospital. Logistic and linear regression analyses were performed to determine the association between age and MICU and hospital mortality, as well as MICU and hospital LOS. Factors adjusted for included gender, smoking history, pre-hospitalisation functional status, ambulatory status, use of inotropes and APACHE II (m) scores (APACHE II scores were modified to exclude age points). Results: Multivariate analysis revealed no statistically significant relationship between age and MICU or hospital mortality and LOS. However, APACHE IIM scores were significantly related to both MICU and hospital mortality (OR, 1.1; CI, 1.07-1.14 and OR, 1.1; CI, 1.09-1.18 respectively), but did not predict MICU or hospital LOS. Conclusion: Severity of acute illness and chronic co-morbidities, but not age, are predictors of MICU and hospital mortality in elderly ventilated patients.

Effects of a Medical Intensivist on Patient Care in a Community Teaching Hospital

To determine the effect of adding a trained intensivist on patient care and educational outcomes in a community teaching hospital. We retrospectively reviewed outcomes for patients admitted to the medical intensive-care unit (MICU) of a 270-bed community teaching hospital between July 1992 and June 1994. Mortality rates and durations of stay were determined for the year before (BD, 1992 through 1993) and the first year after (AD, 1993 through 1994) introduction of a full-time director of critical care. Performance of resident trainees on a standardized critical-care examination was measured for the same periods. Overall, 459 patients in the BD period were compared with 471 patients in the AD period. The mix of cases and severity of illness (acute physiology and chronic health evaluation or APACHE II scores) on admission were similar for the BD and AD periods. MICU mortality decreased from 20.9% during the BD to 14.9% during the AD period (P = 0.02), and in-hospital mortality decreased from 34.0% to 24.6% (P = 0.002). Disease-specific mortalities were lower during the AD period for most categories of illness. Detailed analysis of a subgroup of patients (those with pneumonia) demonstrated no differences in distribution of patients by gender, race, or acuity of illness (APACHE II scores). The mortality rate due to pneumonia decreased from 46% during the BD period to 31% during the AD period. This decrease was consistent across categories of APACHE II scores. From BD to AD periods, mean durations of total hospital stay decreased from 22.6 +/- 1.4 days to 17.7 +/- 1.0 days, and mean MICU stay decreased from 5.0 +/- 0.3 days to 3.9 +/- 0.3 days (P < 0.05). Critical-care in-service examination scores for 22 residents increased from 53.8 +/- 1.7% to 67.5 +/- 2.2% (P < 0.01), and AD scores were significantly higher than BD scores for residents at similar levels of training. Addition of a medical intensivist was temporally associated with improved clinical and educational outcomes in our community teaching hospital.

AIDS in a Medical Intensive Care Unit

To help physicians decide whether to admit patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) to the medical intensive care unit (MICU). Case series study of AIDS patients admitted to the MICU between October 1990 and October 1992 and followed up until April 1993 (median follow-up, 1 year). The MICU in a 970-bed teaching hospital in Paris, France. A total of 120 consecutive AIDS patients with acute respiratory failure (50%), central nervous system dysfunction (22.5%), pneumothorax (12.5%), shock (10.8%), or miscellaneous conditions (4.2%). A total of 86 patients were discharged alive from the MICU. Predictive factors for mortality during and after MICU stay. Multivariate analysis identified 3 factors predicting poor MICU outcome: Simplified Acute Physiology Score I (SAPS I) above 10 (relative risk [RR], 6.1; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.5-26.6), time between AIDS diagnosis and MICU admission more than 1 year(RR, 6.0; 95% CI, 2.1-17.5), serum albumin level less than 30 g/L (RR, 4.9; 95% CI, 1.3-18.2). The CD4 cell count, beta2-microglobulinemia, and previous opportunistic infections had no influence on MICU mortality. After MICU discharge, survival rates were 86% at 1 week, 82% at 1 month, 53% at 6 months, and 39% at 1 year. The Karnofsky scale score and the number of previous opportunistic infections were simultaneously associated with post-MICU outcome. Predictive factors for MICU survival did not influence post-MICU survival. The MICU mortality was related to immediate severity (assessed within 48 hours of admission) and the time between AIDS diagnosis and MICU admission. Long-term survival after MICU discharge depended only on the severity of AIDS. We conclude that AIDS patients should be admitted to the MICU on the same basis as other patients.

A Prediction Rule For Mortality in the Medical Intensive Care Unit Based on Early Acute Organ-System Failure

We evaluated early acute organ-system failure (AOSF) as a predictor of mortality in medical intensive care unit (MICU) patients. Prospective data were obtained on 825 men admitted to a Veterans Administraion (VA) Medical Center MICU. Clinical criteria were used to diagnose the presence of 7 types of AOSF. Of the 2,364 AOSFs detected, 1,847 (78%) were “early” (i.e., detected within the first 48 hours of MICU stay). A random sample of 550 patients was selected for derivation of a prediction rule for MICU mortality based on age and number of early AOSFs. For each additional early AOSF, the adjusted odds of mortality increased by 3.3 (95% confidence interval: 2.7, 4.0; p &lt; 0.0001). When applied to the cross-validation sample of 275 patients, this rule yielded a sensitivity of 77%, a specificity of 86%, and an overall correct classification rate of 82%. These results suggest that a simple rule based on number of AOSFs detected in the early portion of a patient's MICU stay may be a useful predictor of mortality.

Mechanical ventilation in medical and neurological diseases: 11 years of experience

Mechanical ventilation (MV) is imperative in many forms of acute respiratory failure (ARF). The aim of this work was to review all episodes of MV in a Medical Intensive Care Unit (MICU) during the 11-year period 1976-1986. Four per cent (n = 1008) of 24,899 admissions to the MICU were treated with MV. The mean age of ventilator-treated patients was 53 +/- 18 years, and obviously it increased during the period of study. The average duration of MV was 4.7 d. MICU mortality, hospital mortality and 2-year mortality rates for patients subjected to MV were 33%, 38% and 46%, respectively. The mortality rate did not change during the study period. Cerebrovascular and malignant diseases carried the highest mortality rates, 75 and 79%, respectively, whereas mortality in patients ventilated because of drug overdose (n = 313) was only 2%. The results of this study confirm previously published findings concerning the outcome of MV, and we conclude that the effects of MV remain discouraging in medical and neurological patients. Improved quality of ventilator therapy and monitoring, as well as continued research directed at the causes of ARF, are equally important in reducing the mortality in ARF.

Is intensive care justified for patients with haematological malignancies?

The course of 260 adults with haematological malignancies admitted to a medical intensive care unit was studied to evaluate the value of life support techniques and to research predictive factors. The overall in the medical intensive care unit (MICU) and hospital mortality rates were respectively 43% (113 patients) and 57% (148 patients). Among survivors, 64% (49 patients) were still alive after 6 months and 44% (35 patients) after 1 year. Among 34 haemodialysed patients, the MICU mortality was 67% (23 patients) and among 111 mechanically ventilated patients 85% (94 patients). Prolonged mechanical ventilation, more than seven days, was performed in 11 of the 17 survivors and did not influence long term survival. No individual predictor of mortality was found comparing survivors and non-survivors. However, SAPS, intractable sepsis and failure of more than one organ system were significantly different in non-survivors (p less than 0.001). Among the 20 patients requiring both mechanical ventilation and haemodialysis, only two left the MICU and both died soon thereafter. We conclude that life support therapy should be initiated in patients with haematological disorders and that prolonged mechanical ventilation is compatible with long term survival. However, the combination of mechanical ventilation and haemodialysis is always associated with a poor prognosis and therefore the use of both techniques simultaneously for one patient is questionable.