HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS REGISTER		Author Keyword(s) Vol Page [Advanced]

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Submit a response Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this link to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Add article to my folders Download to citation manager Request Permissions Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Flaatten, H Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Flaatten, H Topic Collections Related Article

Effects of a major structural change to the intensive care unit on the quality and outcome after intensive care

Correspondence to:
Dr H Flaatten
Intensive Care Unit /KSK, Haukeland University Hospital, N-5021 Bergen, Norway; hkfl{at}helse-bergen.no Background: Changes in structure may affect outcome after intensive care in various ways. Both closed (as opposed to open) units and the number of nurses have been shown to affect outcome.

Objective: To study the effects of temporarily moving an intensive care unit (ICU) on various indicators of outcome and quality of care.

Methods: Because of rebuilding, over a period of 8 months our ICU was moved to an adjacent postoperative area. The 12 month periods immediately before and after the rebuilding were chosen as reference periods. Routinely collected data such as length of stay, ventilator time, readmission rate, severity score (SAPS II), and observed mortality were used for comparison.

Results: Using variable life adjusted display (VLAD), an increase in hospital mortality was observed during the 8 month rebuilding period. This was also found using Kaplan-Meier estimates of survival and standardised mortality ratio.

Conclusion: Structural change to our ICU was probably the major cause for the observed change in mortality.

Abbreviations: ICU, intensive care unit; SMR, standardised mortality ratio; VAP, ventilator associated pneumonia; VLAD, variable life adjusted display

Keywords: intensive care; outcome; structural change

Related Article

Quality Lines
Qual. Saf. Health Care 2005 14: 230a. [Extract] [Full Text]