Background: Intensive Care Units are units designed to take care of patients with the most severe and life-threatening illnesses and injuries; that require constant, close monitoring and support from specialist equipment and medication in order to maintain normal bodily functions.
Objective: Was to evaluate mortality rate in medical ICU and related risk factors, as little is known about the causes and risk factors for death in critically ill patients in our medical ICU.
Methods: Data were obtained from 100 patients admitted to the 12-bed Medical Intensive Care Unit in the Department of Medicine, Assiut University Hospital, between January 1, 2012 and June 30, 2012. The admission records of each patient admitted to the ICU were reviewed prospectively during the period of 6 months. Patient characteristics including demo-graphic variables, diagnosis, acute physiology and chronic health evaluation (APACHE II) score at the time of ICU admission and length of stay in the ICU were obtained. The treatment outcome was determined by survival at the time of ICU discharge.
Results: 53% of the admissions involved were female, with mean age 49.85±19.20 years, 25% patients stayed for 5- <10 days, 25% of patients were died, while 75% survived, with average APACHE II score 18.34±0.72, and predicted death rate 33.60±2.02. Predictors of non survival were higher APACHE II score (p-value 0.038), low GCS (p-value 0.001) and decreased PO2 (p-value 0.001).
Conclusion: The actual death rate in our medical ICU is lower than the expected risk of death according to APACHEII scoring system.