title: [Characteristics and evolution of patients admitted to a public hospital intensive care unit].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The epidemiology of critical patients in Chile could differ from that reported in international studies.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To describe the causes of admission and evolution of patients who were admitted to the ICU (Intensive Care Unit) of a general hospital in Chile in a two-year period (2012-2013).
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective study was carried out using the ICU database. The following variables were registered: admission diagnosis, APACHE II (Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation), days of mechanical ventilation (MV), ICU length of stay and ICU and hospital survival.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We analyzed data from 1075 aged 54 ± 18 years (55% males), representing 75% of the admissions during the study period. The median ICU and MV lengths were 5 and 3 days respectively (92% of patients required MV). APACHE II was 20.5 ± 8.2. The ICU and hospital mortality rate were 19.4% and 31%, respectively. Critical neurological diseases were the most common diagnoses requiring ICU, representing 26.8% of the admissions. No differences were found between 2012 and 2013 in age, APACHE II, ICU or hospital survival. A longer post ICU length of stay was found during 2013, both for patients who survived and those who died at the hospital.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study highlights the high percentage of patients that required MV and the high percentage critical neurological conditions requiring ICU admission. The characteristics and evolution of patients admitted to the ICU did not differ during 2012 and 2013.
authors.affiliation: Unidad de Pacientes Críticos, Complejo Asistencial Doctor Sótero del Río, Santiago, Chile.
authors.forename: Carolina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ruiz
authors.affiliation: Unidad de Pacientes Críticos, Complejo Asistencial Doctor Sótero del Río, Santiago, Chile.
authors.forename: Miguel Ángel
authors.initials: MÁ
authors.lastname: Díaz
authors.affiliation: Unidad de Pacientes Críticos, Complejo Asistencial Doctor Sótero del Río, Santiago, Chile.
authors.forename: Juan Marcelo
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Zapata
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Medicina Intensiva, Escuela de Medicina, Facultad de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile.
authors.forename: Sebastián
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bravo
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Medicina Interna, Complejo Asistencial Doctor Sótero del Río, Santiago, Chile.
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Panay
authors.affiliation: Unidad de Pacientes Críticos, Complejo Asistencial Doctor Sótero del Río, Santiago, Chile.
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Escobar
authors.affiliation: Unidad de Pacientes Críticos, Complejo Asistencial Doctor Sótero del Río, Santiago, Chile.
authors.forename: Jorge
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Godoy
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Medicina Intensiva, Escuela de Medicina, Facultad de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile.
authors.forename: Max
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Andresen
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Medicina Intensiva, Escuela de Medicina, Facultad de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile.
authors.forename: Ricardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Castro
mesh_terms: D018806:APACHE; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002677:Chile; D005260:Female; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006779:Hospitals, Public / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010343:Patient Admission / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012121:Respiration, Artificial / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors