Outcomes of patients considered for, but not admitted to, the intensive care unit.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to evaluate factors associated with decisions to reject patients from medical intensive care unit (MICU) admission and assess the outcome of these patients. DESIGN: Prospective, observational cohort study. SETTING: Large tertiary referral, teaching hospital. PATIENTS: Consecutive patients evaluated for MICU admission but not admitted. MEASUREMENTS: Patient characteristics and demographics, location of evaluation, clinical and laboratory data, major organ system dysfunction, 48-hr patient status, and 6-month mortality. MAIN RESULTS: A total of 1,302 patients were admitted to the MICU, 353 patients were evaluated for the MICU but were not admitted, and 324 patients were used in analysis. Mean age was 68.6 +/- 17.1 yrs, and 57.7% were women. Hospice care was instituted during or immediately after evaluation in 8.3% (n = 27) of cases. MICU care was declined by the patient in 5.2% (n = 17) of evaluations. The mean Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II score was 17.4 +/- 6.0. Factors associated with death at 6 months included age, APACHE II score, entering hospice, and patient choice to decline care. Of the patients considered too well to benefit, 9% were admitted to the MICU within 48 hrs and 35.5% died within 6 months; however, no deaths occurred within 48 hrs. CONCLUSIONS: Patients who are considered for critical care are at very high risk of mortality within 6 months. Given that no deaths occurred within 48 hrs and that only 9% needed intensive care unit admission within 48 hrs, the house staff's decision process is safe at this one institution.

Correlation between activated clotting time and activated partial thromboplastin times.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the correlation between clotting time tests and heparin concentration, the correlation between activated clotting time (ACT) and activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) results, and to compare the clinical decisions based on ACT results with those based on aPTT results. METHODS: Retrospective evaluation of a large database containing heparin concentrations, ACT results (1 device), and aPTT results (3 different instruments: 2 bedside, 1 laboratory-based). Correlations between heparin concentrations and clotting time tests and between ACT results and aPTT results were determined. Clinical decisions regarding heparin dosage adjustments based on ACT results were compared with those based on aPTT results. RESULTS: Correlations between clotting time tests and heparin concentrations were r = 0.72 for ACT and r = 0.74-0.86 for the aPTT instruments. The laboratory-based aPTT had the highest correlation to heparin concentrations. The correlation between ACT and aPTT results ranged from r = 0.64-0.67. Heparin dosage adjustment decisions based on ACT results agreed with decisions based on aPTT results 59-63% of the time. CONCLUSIONS: The laboratory-based aPTT has a stronger correlation to heparin concentration than the bedside-based aPTT and ACT. The correlation between ACT and aPTT was similar among 3 different aPTT instruments. Decisions to adjust heparin therapy based on ACT results differed from decisions based on aPTT results more than one-third of the time.