title: On the delivery of intensive care.
abstract: A 12-bed medical-surgical intensive care unit in a provincial, university-affiliated teaching hospital had 810 admissions during an 18-month period. Most patients were admitted under the care of a family physician. Quality care in the ICU was maintained by the efforts of dedicated unit managers, specialists and house staff. The overall mortality in the ICU of 8.1%, when added to the post-ICU mortality of 2.7% (giving a total hospital mortality of 10.8%), compares favourably with the best reported figures. Strong emphasis on selection of patients with potentially reversible disease, prompted in part by the limited facilities, may have played a role in yielding such favourable statistics. It is possible to retain participation of all members of the health care team during the brief phase of severe illness requiring intensive care.
mesh_terms: D000416:Alberta; D003325:Coronary Care Units / Q000592:standards; D006739:Hospital Administration; D006760:Hospitalization; D006784:Hospitals, Teaching; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units / Q000592:standards*; D009026:Mortality; D010348:Patient Care Team; D011787:Quality of Health Care; D012124:Respiratory Care Units / Q000592:standards