Current Critical Care Practices get new New Benchmarks

New yardsticks for current critical care practices at ICUs may pinpoint opportunities for areas of improvement.

Data representing 243,553 adult admissions from 271 ICUs and 188 US nonfederal hospitals during 2008 was analyzed by Researchers from the University of Massachusetts, the University of Maryland, and Maine Medical Center. By reviewing electronic medical records, they found that more than 50% of these adults were not more than 65 years of age and returned to their homes after discharge.

In 2008, ICU admissions comprised active treatments, more likely involving life support and therapy for end-of-life issues, and a vast majority of patients experienced favorable outcomes.

The results of a study published in the journal Chest serve as a yardstick to facilitate the evaluation of local practices and outcomes against other ICUs by clinicians and administrators.