Effect of delayed admission to intensive care units from the emergency department on the mortality of critically Ill patients

Abstract EN

Background: Increasing in emergency department need to critical care, the number of intensive care unit bed worldwide is inad- equate to meet these applies.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of waiting for admission to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) in the Emer- gency Department (ED) on the length of stay in the ICU and the mortality of critically ill patients.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study carried out between January 2012 - 2019 patients admitted to the ICU of a training and research hospital.

The data of 1297 adult patients were obtained by searching the Clinical Decision Support System.

Results: The data of the patients were evaluated in two groups as those considered to be delayed and non-delayed.

It was determined that the delay of two hours increased the risk of mortality 1.5 times.

Hazard Ratios (HR) was 1.548 (1.077 - 2.224).

Patients whose ICU admission was delayed by 5 - 6 hours were found to have the highest risk in terms of mortality (HR = 2.291 [1.503 - 3.493]).

A statistically significant difference was found in the ICU mortality, 28-day and, 90-day mortality between the two groups.

ICU mortality for all patients’ general was 25.2% (327/1297).

This rate was 11.4% (55/481) in the non-delayed group and 33.3% (272/816) in the delayed group (P < 0.001).

The 28-day mortality rate for all patients’ general was 26.9% (349/1297).

This rate was found to be 13.5% (65/481) in the non-delayed group and 34.8% (284/816) in the delayed group (P < 0.001).

The 90-day mortality for all patients’ general was 28.4% (368/1297).

This rate was 14.1% (68/481) in the non-delayed group and 36.8% (300/816) in the delayed group (P < 0.001).

Conclusions: Prolonged stay in the ED before admission to the ICU is associated with worse consequences, and increased mortality.