title: Prospective comparison of three risk score models at three different surgical intensive care units.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Although risk score models are of great value, their use is restricted because of the additional effort involved. The aim of this study was to compare three different score systems. Each of these requires a different degree of effort by the medical staff. One of the score systems is solely based on routine laboratory parameters. Data were collected on three different ICUs units, with each showing a large variety in patients' health conditions.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective data of 588 surgical patients were collected by means of Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II), Dense Laboratory Whole Blood Applied Risk Estimation (DELAWARE), and Simplified Acute Physiology Score II (SAPS II) score systems. These patients were admitted to three different intensive care units over a period of 12 months. On the day of admission, predicted hospital survival and mortality were evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  With a cutoff value of 0.6, the sensitivity of the APACHE II, DELAWARE, and SAPS II was at 0.19, 0.24, and 0.21; the specificity was at 0.98, 0.92, and 0.98; and the correct classification rate at 0.86, 0.83, and 0.86. The r(2) value was 0.35 for the APACHE II, 0.12 for the DELAWARE, and 0.21 for the SAPS II. The hospital mortality rate was overestimated in all three score systems.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of this first multicenter study comparing three risk score systems indicate that it is possible to establish a general risk score for surgical intensive care patients on admission date. Such a risk score is solely based on quality-controlled, low-cost routine laboratory parameters.
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic Surgery, Burn Center, Hand Surgery, BG-University Hospital Bergmannsheil, Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum, Germany. ole.goertz@rub.de
authors.forename: Ole
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Goertz
authors.forename: Eike-Marie
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Wolff
authors.forename: Axel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nierhaus
authors.forename: Amir F
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Gharagozlou
authors.forename: Tobias
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hirsch
authors.forename: Jonas
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kolbenschlag
authors.forename: Marcus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lehnhardt
authors.forename: Axel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Stachon
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003422:Critical Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D055815:Young Adult