The importance of differentiating between elective and emergency postoperative critical care patients.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of the study is to demonstrate the importance of separately analyzing data on elective and emergency surgery patients admitted postoperatively to intensive and intermediate care units.


METHODS
A prospective observational study was performed in a tertiary care university hospital to assess the demographic and clinical differences between emergency and elective surgical patients (>14 years old). Group 1 included patients transferred to a floor bed or the ambulatory surgery unit for discharge home after a short stay (<12 hours) in the postanesthesia care unit. Group 2 patients were admitted to the cardiothoracic intensive care unit (ICU), neurosurgical ICU, general ICU, or for an extended intermediate care postanesthesia care unit stay (>12 hours).


RESULTS
In groups 1 (n = 1059), there were significant differences between the elective and emergency patients. Emergency, as compared with elective group 2 (n= 1883) patients, experienced more severe preexisting illnesses (ie, had higher American Society of Anesthesiology classifications), underwent different and shorter operations, required prolonged postoperative mechanical ventilation, required longer ICU stays, and had higher mortality.


CONCLUSIONS
Substantial differences between elective and emergency surgery patients have important implications when conducting and reporting research on the nature, extent, and outcome of postoperative ICU care.
Weissman
Charles
C
Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center, Hebrew University-Hadassah School of Medicine, Jerusalem, Israel.
Klein
Nava
N
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D003422:Critical Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017558:Elective Surgical Procedures / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004632:Emergency Medical Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011182:Postoperative Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013514:Surgical Procedures, Operative / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*