The hospital-survival and prognostic factors of patients with solid tumors admitted to an ICU.
The decision to admit a patient with cancer to the intensive care unit (ICU) is complex. There are limited data as to the outcome and prognostic factors of patients with solid tumors admitted to the ICU. A retrospective chart review was undertaken to evaluate this issue. Over an 18-month period, 147 patients with solid tumors were admitted to our ICU. Lung, colorectal, and breast were the commonest sites of the primary tumors, with 52% of patients having metastatic disease. A total of 79 (54%) patients survived to hospital discharge, with 50 (34%) patients being discharged to home. Metastatic disease and the requirement for vasopressor agents were independent predictors of poor outcome. The relatively high survival rate of this cohort of patients should prompt a reevaluation of the ICU admission criteria for patients with solid tumors who become critically ill.
Department of Internal Medicine, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA.
Vinia
V
Mendoza
Andrew
A
Lee
Paul E
PE
Marik
D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006738:Hospices / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality* / Q000628:therapy; D015143:Philadelphia / Q000453:epidemiology; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016019:Survival Analysis