Gynecologic oncology patients in the surgical ICU. Impact on outcome.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the risk factors and outcome for survival of gynecologic oncology patients in the surgical intensive care unit (SICU).


METHODS
A chart review from January 1987 through May 1992 yielded 73 gynecologic oncology patients with a malignancy who had undergone surgery with a minimum stay of three days in the SICU. Of these 73 patients, 49 patients died of malignancy, 5 were alive with disease, and 19 were alive without evidence of disease.


RESULTS
The median survival of the 73 patients was 123 days; that of 48 ovarian cancer patients was 50 days. Twenty patients (27.4%) died in the hospital.


CONCLUSIONS
This study, with multivariate analysis, showed that multiple medical conditions, especially cardiac disease, and a stay of longer than five days in the SICU had a significant impact on survival, with ovarian cancer patients staying longer and having poorer survival. These results will help in triaging patients for postsurgical management.
Abbas
F M
FM
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland 21215, USA.
Sert
M B
MB
Rosenshein
N B
NB
Zahyrak
M L
ML
Currie
J L
JL
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D005833:Genital Neoplasms, Female / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D017048:Health Care Costs; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D007902:Length of Stay; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D011379:Prognosis; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome