Characteristics and outcomes of patients with prolonged stays in an intensive care unit

Abstract

Objective: To determine the characteristics and outcomes of patients with prolonged stay in a tertiary-care ICU. Method: Electronic database records of patients 18 years or older and hospitalized in the ICU from March 2010 to March 2013 were enrolled. Age, gender, main reason for ICU admission, length of mechanical ventilation and ICU stay, in-hospital and one year mortality were noted. Results: The records of 1,908 patients from their initial ICU stays were analyzed. The mean Length Of Stay (LOS) for patients with a LOS? 28 days (n: 215) was 85.6±81.9 days. The main disease category necessitating prolonged stays was neurologic disorders according to the diagnosis by the admission to ICU, while the main disease category necessitating a LOS< 28 days stays was elective surgery. Among the prolonged stay patients, 37 (17.2%) were alive one year post-discharge and only 13 (6%) were living independently. Conclusion: Patients with a prolonged ICU stay constituted a small percentage of all ICU admissions but they proportionally used many more ICU bed days than short-stay patients. The mortality of prolonged ICU stay patients was very high. Very few survivors were living independently at one year. Thus, development of intermediate care units, palliative care and home care services are emerging necessities, to decrease the LOS in ICUs. © 2016, TIP ARASTIRMALARI DERNEGI. All rights reserved.