PharmacoEconomics & Outcomes News 559 - 9 Aug 2008 Critical care resources underused Critical care resources may be underused in high-risk surgical patients and may result in poor outcomes for this group, according to a UK study. The study included data from 26 051 inpatient surgical procedures * performed in a large NHS Trust between April 2002 and March 2005 to describe provision and utilisation of critical care resources for high-risk surgical patients. Of the 26 051 procedures, 2414 were deemed high risk, ** with 294 deaths (12.2%). Only 35.3% of high-risk patients, however, were admitted to a critical care unit at any stage following surgery. Of the 294 high-risk patients who died, only 49% were admitted to critical care at any time during hospitalisation; only 25.6% of these deaths occurred in a critical care location. The researchers suggest that "allocation of additional critical care facilities to this population is likely to be a cost-effective means of improving both short- and long- term outcomes". * excluding cardiothoracic and neurosurgery, day case surgery, endoscopy, organ transplantation, obstetrics and burns surgery ** defined as those procedures with a mortality rate of ≥ 5% Jhanji S, et al. Mortality and utilisation of critical care resources amongst high-risk surgical patients in a large NHS trust. Anaesthesia 63: 695-700, No. 7, Jul 2008 801119783 1 PharmacoEconomics & Outcomes News 9 Aug 2008 No. 559 1173-5503/10/0559-0001/$14.95 Adis © 2010 Springer International Publishing AG. All rights reserved

Critical care resources underused

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Page 1: Critical care resources underused

PharmacoEconomics & Outcomes News 559 - 9 Aug 2008

Critical care resources underusedCritical care resources may be underused in high-risk

surgical patients and may result in poor outcomes forthis group, according to a UK study.

The study included data from 26 051 inpatientsurgical procedures* performed in a large NHS Trustbetween April 2002 and March 2005 to describeprovision and utilisation of critical care resources forhigh-risk surgical patients.

Of the 26 051 procedures, 2414 were deemed highrisk,** with 294 deaths (12.2%). Only 35.3% of high-riskpatients, however, were admitted to a critical care unit atany stage following surgery. Of the 294 high-riskpatients who died, only 49% were admitted to criticalcare at any time during hospitalisation; only 25.6% ofthese deaths occurred in a critical care location.

The researchers suggest that "allocation of additionalcritical care facilities to this population is likely to be acost-effective means of improving both short- and long-term outcomes".* excluding cardiothoracic and neurosurgery, day case surgery,endoscopy, organ transplantation, obstetrics and burns surgery** defined as those procedures with a mortality rate of ≥ 5%

Jhanji S, et al. Mortality and utilisation of critical care resources amongst high-risksurgical patients in a large NHS trust. Anaesthesia 63: 695-700, No. 7, Jul2008 801119783