title: Criteria for patient admission to an intensive care unit and related mortality rates.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the study was to evaluate criteria used in clinical practice, for screening of patients for ICU admission.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cohort prospective study in a tertiary hospital. Four groups were compared in relation to ICU admission by ranking priorities into groups 1, 2, 3 and 4; highest priority 1, lowest priority 4.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Enrolled were 359 patients, 66 (53.2-75.0) years old. APACHE II was 23 (18-30). The ICU made available 70.4% of beds. Patients who were refused beds in the ICU were older, 66.2 ± 16.1 versus 61.9 ± 15.2 years of age (p= 0.02) and the priority 1 group had less refusal of beds, which means, 39.1% versus 23.8% had beds refused (p=0.01). The opposite occurred with priorities 3 and 4. Patients in priority 3 and 4 showed older ages, score system and more organ dysfunctions as well as more refusals of beds. ICU mortality rates were higher for priority groups 3 and 4 when compared to 1 and 2 priority groups, 86.7% versus 31.3% (p<0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Age, score system and organ dysfunctions were greater in priority groups 3 and 4 and these were related with refusal from the ICU. Patients refused admission to the ICU showed higher mortality rates and these remained higher among priority groups 3 and 4 even when patients were admitted to the ICU.
authors.affiliation: Terapia Intensiva do Hospital do Servidor Público Estadual, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Vanessa Maria Horta
authors.initials: VM
authors.lastname: Caldeira
authors.forename: João Manoel
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Silva Júnior
authors.forename: Amanda Maria Ribas Rosa de
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Oliveira
authors.forename: Seyna
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rezende
authors.forename: Leonardo Atem Golçalves de
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Araújo
authors.forename: Marcus Ribeiro de Oliveira
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Santana
authors.forename: Cristina Prata
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Amendola
authors.forename: Ederlon
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rezende
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D005260:Female; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010343:Patient Admission; D014218:Triage / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards*