title: [Measurement of the quality of care for surgical patients in an intensive care unit in a peripheral hospital].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the quality of care in an intensive care unit.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective investigation for one year. Comparison with results from the literature.
  
  
  METHODS
  Surgical intensive care unit of a community hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  Measurement of the APACHE-II-score was performed on days 1, 3 and 7 in all surgical intensive care unit patients admitted during a one-year period. The predicted mortality from the literature was compared with the actual mortality in our hospital.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 301 patients were admitted to the intensive care unit. Overall mortality was 9%. All the patients with an APACHE II score above 25 on admission died. The actual mortality was comparable with the predicted mortality from the literature.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The APACHE II score can be used to determine the quality of care in an intensive care unit. Early prediction of a bad prognosis makes transportation to a more specialized hospital possible, before irreversible organ damage develops.
authors.affiliation: Afd. Interne Geneeskunde, Rode Kruis Ziekenhuis, Den Haag.
authors.forename: J G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: van der Hoeven
authors.forename: W H
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Steup
authors.forename: R M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Valentijn
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Breslau
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003422:Critical Care / Q000592:standards*; D005260:Female; D006764:Hospitals, Community; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units / Q000592:standards; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011182:Postoperative Care / Q000592:standards*; D011787:Quality of Health Care; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
vernacular_title: Meting van de kwaliteit van de zorg voor chirurgiepatiënten op een intensive care-afdeling in een perifeer ziekenhuis.