title: Intensive care unit prognostic factors in critically ill patients with advanced solid tumors: a 3-year retrospective study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The objective of this study was to identify risk factors predicting prognosis of critically ill medical patients with advanced solid tumors in the intensive care unit (ICU).
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively analyzed all ICU unplanned medical admissions to the ICU of patients with advanced solid cancer in Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital between October 1, 2012 and March 1, 2015. Approval was obtained from the Ethical Commission of Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital to review and publish information from patients' records.
  
  
  RESULTS
  One hundred and forty-one patients with full code status met the criteria for inclusion from among 813 ICU admissions. ICU mortality was 14.9 % and in-hospital mortality was 29.8 %. The major reasons for unplanned ICU admission were respiratory failure (38.3 %) and severe sepsis or septic shock (27.7 %). The ICU mortality in patients who required vasopressors, mechanical ventilation or renal replacement therapy for >24 h was 25, 25.9 and 40 %, respectively. The mean overall survival was 28.6 months. After adjusting for hypertension, type of solid cancer, intervention time, need for mechanical ventilation and Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II score, only Sepsis-related Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score on day 7 of ICU treatment remained a significant predictor of ICU mortality (adjusted odds ratio 1.612, 95 % confidence interval 1.137-2.285, P = 0.007).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We suggest broadening the criteria for ICU admission. The patients should be allowed an ICU trial consisting of unlimited ICU support, including invasive hemodynamic monitoring, mechanical ventilation and renal replacement therapy. An interdisciplinary meeting, including an ethics consultation, should be held to make end-of-life decisions if the SOFA score on day 7 shows clinical deterioration with no available therapeutic options.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Intensive Care Unit, National Clinical Research Center of Cancer, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Huanhu West Road, Ti-Yuan-Bei, Hexi District, Tianjin, 300060, China. harrywise@medmail.com.cn.
authors.forename: Rui
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Xia
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Intensive Care Unit, National Clinical Research Center of Cancer, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Huanhu West Road, Ti-Yuan-Bei, Hexi District, Tianjin, 300060, China.
authors.forename: Donghao
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D016638:Critical Illness / Q000401:mortality*; D005260:Female; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology*; D016017:Odds Ratio; D010166:Palliative Care; D063868:Patient Outcome Assessment; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors