Korean Journal of Anesthesiology 1985;18(1):86-91.
Clinical Survey of Patients in the Intensiva Care Unit.
Shin Ok Koh, Hung Kun Oh
Department of Anesthesiology, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
The intensive care unit(ICU) of Severance Hospital was opened on October 18, 1968 with 7 beds and expanded to 19 beds on February 2, 1981. Statistical analysis of the ICU patients has already been reported three time from 1970 to 1981. The following is clinical analysis of 3,498 cases and ventilator cases from March 1981 to February 1984. 1) During the 3 years the total number of patients was 3,498. In 1981 1,053 patients, in 1982 1,179 patients, in 1983 1,256 patients were admitted. 2) Total admission time in the ICU was 17,061 days. The average patient stay in ICU was 4.9days. The majority of the patients (2,675 cases, 76.6%) stayed in ICU less than 5 days. The number of patients stayin in ICU more than 9 days increased every year from 94 cases (8.8%) in 1981 to 130 cases (10.4%) in 1983. 2) The number of pre-teens was 1,090 cases, about 31.2% of the total patients and represented the highest number of patients admitted to the ICU. The mortality in the pre-teen group was the highest of numbered 148, a mortality rate of 13.6%. 4) The number of patients admitted to the cardiothoracic surgery department was 1,591 cases(45.5%) being highest among all department. Out of 100 patients who died, the pediatric service had the highest mortality rate, 29.2%. 5) All ICU patients have been divided into two categories, operative and non-operative cases. The operative cases numbered 1,889 and non-operative 1,609. Mortality rate was 4.9% for the operative cases and 15% for the non-operative. 6) Total mortality was 334 in number, an overall mortality rate of 9.5% in 3 years. It has decreased annually, 131 cases (mortality rate 12.3%) in 1981, 105 case (7.7%) in 1982, 97 cases(7.7%) in 1983. 7) Ventilator cases numbered 1,921 in 3years. Ventilator day increased year by year, 1, 220 days in 1981, 19,904 in 1982, 2,299 days in 1983. Total ventilatior days in 1983 increased 72.9% compared with the number in 1981. 8) The number of deaths under ventilator support was 90 in 1981, 71 in 1982 and 80 in 1983 respectively. Mortality rate has decreased every year: 16.1% in 1981, 11.2% in 1982 and 10.8% in 1983. From the above results, it can be concluded that the total number of ICU patients and ventilator cases are increasing and the attendant mortality rate is decreasing year by year.