Post-Operative Admissions to the Intensive Care Unit at Windhoek Central Hospital: A Prospective Study of Factors that Influence Indications and Outcome
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47363/JSAR/2023(4)170Keywords:
ICU Admission, Planned, Outcome, ASA, Anaesthetic ComplicationsAbstract
Background: Indications for postoperative admissions to the intensive care unit are multifactorial and could be due to patient preoperative status, surgical or anaesthetic adverse events. In addition, admission to the ICU could be planned or unplanned. The aim of the study was, therefore, to assess and determine indications and outcomes following postoperative admissions to ICU in Windhoek central hospital, Namibia.
Objectives: The study aimed to determine post-operative admissions to the intensive care unit, the factors that influenced indications and outcome of admissions to the unit, at Windhoek Central Hospital (WCH).
Methods: This quantitative prospective study was carried out over a six-month period at Windhoek Central Hospital ICU. Data collection sheets were used to collect relevant patient details from their hospital records. This was done only for postoperative patients that were admitted to WCH ICU, and that met the inclusion criteria of the study. The data obtained was then entered in a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet and analysed.
Results: A total of 53 patients met the inclusion criteria for the study. Most postoperative admissions to the ICU were planned (77%). A larger percentage of patients admitted to the ICU had an ASA score of IV and V (32% and 28%, respectively). Cardiothoracic and General surgery were the specialities that had the greatest need for ICU admissions. Intraoperative adverse events were mainly attributed to anaesthesia (28%); the majority were hypotensive episodes requiring ionotropic support. There was no relationship between the duration of surgery and length of ICU stay using Pearson correlation score (N=53), .045, .751. The study found that 52 (98%) of patients survived, and there was only 1 (2%) mortality following admission to ICU.
Conclusion: The study showed that most postoperative ICU admissions were planned. Anaesthetic adverse events led to a greater need for ICU admissions. Most of the patients admitted to ICU had higher ASA scores of IV and V.
