Do Neurocritical Care Units Save Lives? Measuring The Impact of Specialized ICUs

Stable incidence but declining case-fatality rates of subarachnoid hemorrhage in a population

“…15,16 Specialized stroke units and neurologic ICUs, with an emphasis on multidisciplinary collaboration, protocolization, and continuous quality improvement, are more prevalent 17 and associated with improved patient outcomes. 18 At the systems of care level, the development of primary stroke centers 19 and comprehensive stroke centers 20 has also driven quality improvement in stroke care.…”

Declining mortality in neurocritical care patients: a cohort study in Southern Alberta over eleven years

“…[44][45][46] Nevertheless, our findings are in agreement with multiple observational studies suggesting that the development of specialized neurocritical care unitsusually supported by the presence of neurointensivists and utilizing evidence-based protocols-may contribute to improved patient outcomes. 28 International studies involving neurocritical care patients have suggested that there is considerable variability in outcomes between countries and individual centers. Mortality rates have not consistently decreased among patients with TBI over the past two decades.…”

“…[25][26][27] Several observational studies have suggested that an organized, protocol-based approach with emphasis on the prevention of ''secondary'' neurological insults may be associated with improved recovery. [28][29][30][31][32][33][34] Consistent with these developments, the care of neurocritical care patients in our region of Canada has evolved considerably over the past decade. There are few contemporary data assessing whether outcomes have changed.…”

Incidence of neurologic death among patients with brain injury: a cohort study in a Canadian health region

“…9 Examples include the development of a regional protocol for the care of patients with traumatic brain injury, the presence of fellowship-trained neurocritical care specialists, and the selective use of decompressive craniectomy. [28][29][30] Comparable resources to those in our region exist at other Canadian academic medical centres. However, we were unable to show that any one of these interventions was significantly associated with the observed reduction in neurologic death.…”