title: One-year audit of admissions to the Intensive Care Unit of the Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital, Blantyre.
abstract: The intensive care unit at Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital (QECH) has 4 beds and offers level 2 care. A retrospective audit of all admissions to the unit during 2002 was carried out. There were a total of 339 admissions giving a bed occupancy rate of 82 %. Surgical patients made up 81 % of admissions. 45% of all admissions were ventilated. Overall mortality was 38%. Ventilated patients had a mortality of 71% compared with 10% for non-ventilated. Data are also presented for mortality within the surgical and paediatric surgical admissions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesia, College of Medicine, University of Malawi.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Size
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesia, College of Medicine, University of Malawi.
authors.forename: E S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Borgstein
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesia, College of Medicine, University of Malawi.
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Haisma