title: Inventory of a Neurological Intensive Care Unit: Who Is Treated and How Long?
abstract: Purpose. To characterize indications, treatment, and length of stay in a stand-alone neurological intensive care unit with focus on comparison between ventilated and nonventilated patient. Methods. We performed a single-center retrospective cohort study of all treated patients in our neurological intensive care unit between October 2006 and December 2008. Results. Overall, 512 patients were treated in the surveyed period, of which 493 could be included in the analysis. Of these, 40.8% had invasive mechanical ventilation and 59.2% had not. Indications in both groups were predominantly cerebrovascular diseases. Length of stay was 16.5 days in mean for ventilated and 3.6 days for nonventilated patient. Conclusion. Most patients, ventilated or not, suffer from vascular diseases with further impairment of other organ systems or systemic complications. Data reflects close relationship and overlap of treatment on nICU with a standardized stroke unit treatment and suggests, regarding increasing therapeutic options, the high impact of acute high-level treatment to reduce consequential complications.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of Regensburg, 93053 Regensburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Roland
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Backhaus
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of Regensburg, 93053 Regensburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Franz
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Aigner
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of Regensburg, 93053 Regensburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Felix
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Schlachetzki
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of Regensburg, 93053 Regensburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Dagmar
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Steffling
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesiology, HELIOS Klinikum, 99089 Erfurt, Germany.
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Jakob
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, HELIOS Klinikum, 99089 Erfurt, Germany.
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Steinbrecher
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of Regensburg, 93053 Regensburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Bernhard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kaiser
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of Regensburg, 93053 Regensburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hau
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of Regensburg, 93053 Regensburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Boy
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of Regensburg, 93053 Regensburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Kornelius
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fuchs
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of Regensburg, 93053 Regensburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Ulrich
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Bogdahn
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University Clinic Regensburg, 93053 Regensburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ritzka