Feasibility of Routine Data Collection on Intensive Care Unit Performance and Activity in Resource Limited Settings

Background: Routine collection and analysis of data allows a critical care department to highlight the outcomes of the interventions done and to identify the grounds for improvement. Data on characteristic and outcomes of patients admitted in intensive care units (ICUs) are lacking. Methods: A software (ICU e-monitoring®) was designed to enter for each patient demographic data, SAPS3 on admission, Nine Equivalent Manpower Use Score, presence of medical devices and episodes of hospital acquired infections. We report data collected during 2014 with comparison to data collected with the same methodology in 2008 [1]. Objective: To determine the standardized mortality ratio, the mean length of ICU stay, mean length of mechanical ventilation and ICU acquired infection incidence rate. Study design: Descriptive Place of study: Medical ICU, Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences Islamabad Results: A total of 196 admissions were recorded during the year 2014 vs 354 in 2008. 47.2% were males and 52.8% were females. Mean age was 32.1 years ± 15.3 SD (37.7 ± 18.9 SD in 2008). A total of 65 (33%) deaths were recorded during the year and standardized mortality ratio was found to be 0.71 vs 1.09 in 2008. Mean Length of stay was 15.9 Days ± 12.9 SD (9.3 days ± 8.9 in 2008) and mean duration of mechanical ventilation was found to be 12.04 Days (8.7 in 2008). Overall ventilator associated pneumonia (VAP) rate was 42.3 cases per 1000 ventilator days. Rate of Catheter Related Blood Stream Infections (CRBSI) was found to be 17.2 cases per 1000 CVC days. Conclusion: Major changes in our patient population characteristics were seen between 2008 and 2013: number of patients and standardized mortality was decreased while incidence of VAP and CRBSI was increased. It is possible to collect meaningful data on ICU performance and activity in resource limited settings.