The Relationship Between ICU Bed Availability, ICU Readmission And Cardiac Arrest On The General Wards

Abstract

Objective-The decision to admit a patient to the intensive care unit (ICU) is complex, reflecting patient factors and available resources. Previous work has shown that ICU census does not impact mortality of patients admitted to the ICU. However, the effect of ICU bed availability on patients outside the ICU is unknown. We sought to determine the association between ICU bed availability, ICU readmissions, and ward cardiac arrests.Design-In this observational study using data collected between 2009 and 2011, rates of ICU readmission and ward cardiac arrest were determined per 12-hour shift. The relationship between these rates and the number of available ICU beds at the start of each shift (accounting for census and nursing capacity), were investigated. Grouped logistic regression was used to adjust for potential confounders. Setting-Five specialized adult ICUs comprising 63 adult ICU beds in an academic medical center.Patients-Any patient admitted to a non-ICU inpatient unit was counted in the ward census and considered at risk for ward cardiac arrest. Patients discharged from an ICU were considered at risk for ICU readmission. Measurements and Main Results-Data

Determining the Cost and Length of Stay at Intensive Care Units and the Factors Influencing Them in a Teaching Hospital in Malaysia

“…outcome of the case. 8,9 Regardless of extensive resource consumption, the ICU costs are only acceptable if the quality of life saved is high and if the absolute risk reduction (ARR) is more than 5%. 10,11 Knowing the cost of the ICU will allow health planners and health service managers to utilize resources better.…”

Does Unprecedented ICU Capacity Strain, As Experienced During the COVID-19 Pandemic, Impact Patient Outcome?

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Effects of a medical emergency team follow‐up programme on patients discharged from the medical intensive care unit to the general ward: a single‐centre experience

“…Town et al . [1] reported that the lack of ICU beds increases the rate of cardiac arrest and ICU readmission of patients discharged from an ICU to a general ward. This is because ICU patients are often transferred to a general ward without having undergone a sufficient recovery period [2].…”