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Re‐admission to intensive care: identification of risk factors
Author(s) -
Paratz Jennifer,
Thomas Peter,
Adsett Julie
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
physiotherapy research international
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.509
H-Index - 49
eISSN - 1471-2865
pISSN - 1358-2267
DOI - 10.1002/pri.5
Subject(s) - identification (biology) , medicine , intensive care medicine , biology , botany
Background and Purpose. The re‐admission of patients to intensive care is associated with increased morbidity, mortality, loss of morale for patients and family, and increased health costs. The aim of the present study was to identify factors which place patients at a higher risk of re‐admission to intensive care. Method. A prospective study of patients who were re‐admitted to a 22‐bed tertiary level intensive care facility within a 12‐month period. Data were kept on every patient re‐admitted to intensive care, including standard demographic data, initial admission diagnosis, co‐morbidities, re‐admission diagnosis, mobility on discharge, secretions, airway, chest X‐ray, PaCO 2 , PaO 2 , PaO 2 /FiO 2 and time of discharge. Subjects included 74 patients who had been re‐admitted to intensive care in a 12‐month period and a comparison group of patients who were not re‐admitted to intensive care. A cross‐tabs procedure was initially used to estimate maximum likelihood. Significant factors with an α value of <0.10 were entered into a backward conditional binary logistic regression to determine independent factors. Results. The overall percentage of patients who were re‐admitted to intensive care compared with total admissions was 7.7%. Significant independent factors for re‐admission were found to be age >65 years ( p <0.05), colonization ( p <0.001), weakness ( p <0.001), co‐morbidities of cardiac and/or respiratory disease ( p <0.001) and depression ( p <0.001). Conclusions. A certain profile of patients has been established who are at increased risk of re‐admission to intensive care. These patients could be provided with increased intervention and surveillance on discharge from intensive care. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.