Characteristics of Critically-Ill Patients at Two Tertiary Care Hospitals in Sudan
Open Access
- 9 September 2018
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Sultan Qaboos University in Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal
- Vol. 18 (2), 190-195
- https://doi.org/10.18295/squmj.2018.18.02.011
Abstract
Objectives: Knowledge of intensive care unit (ICU) admission patterns and characteristics is necessary for the development of critical care services, particularly in low-resource settings. This study aimed to describe the characteristics of critically-ill patients admitted to ICUs in Sudan. Methods: This prospective observational study was conducted between February and May 2017 in the ICUs of two government tertiary care hospitals inKhartoum, Sudan. A total of 100 consecutive adult patients admitted to the ICUs were included in the study. The patients’ demographic and clinical characteristics and Acute Physiologic Assessment and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE II) scores upon admission were recorded, as well as the reason for admission, presence of any underlying comorbidities, interventional requirements like mechanical ventilation or haemodialysis, length of stay in the ICU and patient outcome. Results: Of the sample, 58% were female and 42% were male. The mean age was 47.4 ± 18.3 years old. Upon admission, the mean APACHE II score was 14.2 ± 9.6. In total, 54% of the patients had no known underlying comorbidities. The most common reasons for ICU admission were neurological diseases (27%), sepsis or infectious diseases (19%) and postoperative management (12%). Mechanical ventilation and haemodialysis were required by 35% and 11% of the patients, respectively. The average length of stay was 10.0 ± 7.2 days and the mortality rate was 24%. Conclusion: Most of the patients admitted to the ICUs were middle-aged females with no known underlying comorbidities. Larger studies are necessary to provide a comprehensive understanding of the critical care needs of Sudanese hospitals.Keywords: Intensive Care Units; Patient Admission, trends; Critical Care Outcomes; Developing Countries; Sudan.Keywords
This publication has 15 references indexed in Scilit:
- Paradigm shifts in critical care medicine: the progress we have madeCritical Care, 2015
- Obstetric and gynecologic admissions to the intensive care unit at Khartoum Hospital, SudanInternational Journal of Gynecology & Obstetrics, 2014
- Disease patterns and clinical outcomes of patients admitted in intensive care units of tertiary referral hospitals of TanzaniaBMC International Health and Human Rights, 2014
- National intensive care unit bed capacity and ICU patient characteristics in a low income countryBMC Research Notes, 2012
- Availability of critical care resources to treat patients with severe sepsis or septic shock in Africa: a self-reported, continent-wide survey of anaesthesia providersCritical Care, 2011
- Evolution of the Intensive Care Unit as a Clinical Center and Critical Care Medicine as a DisciplineCritical Care Clinics, 2009
- Differences in critical care practice between an industrialized and a developing countryWiener klinische Wochenschrift, 2008
- Intensive care unit admissions in the Jos University Teaching Hospital.2007
- A review and analysis of intensive care medicine in the least developed countries*Critical Care Medicine, 2006
- An audit of surgical admissions to the intensive care unit of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (1997 - 2002)Nigerian Postgraduate Medical Journal, 2006