title: Critical care in Colombia: differences between teaching and nonteaching intensive care units. A prospective cohort observational study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to determine the differences in the efficacy and efficiency in providing critical care to hospitalized patients in teaching vs nonteaching intensive care units (ICUs) in Colombia.
  
  
  METHODS
  A prospective cohort observational study was conducted.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study was conducted in 11 teaching and 8 nonteaching ICUs. From June 1 until December 31, 2005, data on 826 patients admitted consecutively to teaching ICUs and 825 patients admitted to nonteaching ICUs were analyzed.
  
  
  METHODS
  Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II, Simplified Therapeutic Intervention Scoring System, ICU discharge status (dead or alive) and ICU length of stay, and standardized mortality ratios were considered in this study. A logistic regression and robust linear regression were performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were no differences in mortality (P = .25). Standardized mortality was less than 1 for both types of units. The teaching ICUs length of stay was 1 day longer (P < .01). Resource use is 25% higher in teaching units (P = .01). When the Simplified Therapeutic Intervention Scoring System score on the last day was from 21 to 35, a higher ratio of patients from the nonteaching ICUs was observed going floor or home when discharged from the ICU (P < .01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Nonteaching ICUs discharge patients earlier than do teaching ICUs, but the effect of it remains to be clarified with further studies addressing questions as what happens after ICU discharge.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Studies Department, Centro de Estudios e Investigación en Salud, CEIS; Health Research and Studies Center-CEIS, Fundacion Santa Fe de Bogota, Bogota, Colombia. sandra.rubiano@fsfb.org.co
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rubiano
authors.forename: Fabian
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gil
authors.forename: Edgar
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Celis-Rodriguez
authors.forename: Henry
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Oliveros
authors.forename: Gabriel
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Carrasquilla
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003105:Colombia; D003422:Critical Care / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017598:Efficiency, Organizational; D005260:Female; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006784:Hospitals, Teaching / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome