Validation of the simplified therapeutic intervention scoring system on an independent database

Objective: To evaluate the performance of the Simplified Therapeutic Intervention Scoring System on an independent database and determine its relation with the Therapeutic Intervention Scoring System in the quantification of nursing workload in intensive care. Design: Analysis of the database of a multicenter prospective Portuguese study. Setting: 19 intensive care units (ICUs) in Portugal. Patients: Data on 1094 patients consecutively admitted to the ICUs were collected during a period of 3 months. Methods: Collection of the data necessary for the calculation of the Therapeutic Intervention Scoring System (TISS-76) and the Simplified Therapeutic Intervention Scoring System (TISS-28) during the first 24 h in the ICU. Basic demographic statistics and all the variables necessary for the computation of the Simplified Acute Physiology Score II were also collected. Vital status at discharge from the hospital was registered. Regression techniques, Pearson's correlation and paired sample t-test were used. Results are presented as mean ± standard deviation except when stated otherwise. Reliability was evaluated by the use of intraclass correlation coefficients in a 5 % random sample. Measurements and results: After exclusion of all the patients with missing data, 1080 patients were analysed. The overall mean TISS-28 (29.82 ± 10.64) was significantly lower than the mean TISS-76 (31.14 ± 11.95). Both systems showed very significant differences between ICUs (p < 0.001). The correlation between the two was good, with TISS-28 explaining 72 % of the variation of TISS-76 (r = 0.85, r ² = 0.72). The relation between the two systems was TISS-28 = 6.22 + 0.85 TISS-76. In this cohort, reliability of data collection was very high, with intraclass correlation coefficients greater than 0.90 for both systems. Conclusions: TISS-28 was validated on this independent population. The results indicate that TISS-28 can replace TISS-76 for the measurement of the nursing workload in Portuguese ICUs Received: 29 October 1996 Accepted: 27 February 1997     

Tiss 76 and Tiss 28: correlation of two therapeutic activity indices on a Spanish multicenter icu database

Objectives: To evaluate the performance of the Simplified Therapeutic Intervention Scoring System (TISS 28) on an independent database and to determine its relation to the original Therapeutic Intervention Scoring System (TISS 76).¶Design: Analysis of the database of the Spanish prospective multicenter study PAEEC (Project for the Epidemiological Analysis of Critical Care Patients).¶Setting: 86 intensive care units (ICUs) in Spain.¶Patients: Data on 8838 patients admitted to the ICUs.¶Measurements and results: Administrative data, main diagnostic category, severity score [Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II and III] and data for the calculation of the TISS 76 and TISS 28 were collected during the first 24 h after the patient's ICU admission. TISS 76 and TISS 28 scores were calculated and analyzed on how they varied according to other variables (diagnostic group, severity level, hospital size and age).The association between TISS 76 and TISS 28 was studied.¶ The TISS 76 score was 21 ± 10.5 points and the TISS 28 score 23.3 ± 8.8 points. There was a good correlation between TISS 76 and TISS 28 (r = 0.85). The regression equation was: TISS 28 = 8.35 + (0.712 × TISS 76). The TISS 28 score behaved similarly to the TISS 76 score in relation to the other variables, with a positive correlation between the therapeutic and the severity level (APACHE II and III) and a negative correlation between therapeutic activity and age, with very similar correlation coefficients. Both TISS 28 and TISS 76 scores were higher in larger hospitals.¶Conclusions: There is a strong correlation between TISS 28 and TISS 76 scores in the PAEEC database and TISS 28 works correctly in our setting.     

Validation of the new Intensive Care Nursing Scoring System (ICNSS)

OBJECTIVES: To validate a new Intensive Care Nursing Scoring System (ICNSS). DESIGN: Retrospective data collection. SETTING: Adult 19-bed intensive care unit (ICU) in a tertiary care university hospital. PATIENTS: A total of 1,538 patient records of which 30 documents were included in the validation. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: Data included admission scores of the Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II) and the Simplified Acute Physiology Scores II (SAPS II), daily Therapeutic Intervention Scores (TISS) and ICNSS scores. Data were compared using Spearman's correlation, t-test and chi-square test. Receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve analysis was used to assess the ability of ICNSS and TISS to predict mortality. Intra-class correlation, percentage agreement and kappa statistics were used to test the validity of given scores. Nursing workload assessment using ICNSS showed that medical and emergency-operated patients caused a greater nursing workload than electively operated patients (p<0.001). Six variables of the sub-scale that described vital function nursing accounted for 27.4% of the variation of SAPS II and for 37% of the variation of APACHE II. The ICNSS sub-scale of vital function nursing accounted for a ROC area of 0.91. In the validity of the given ICNSS scores, kappa was 0.81 and weighted kappa 0.82. CONCLUSIONS: Nursing workload varied between the different admission types. ICNSS explained a similar percentage of the variation of the admission scores of APACHE II and SAPSS II as TISS and discriminated between non-survivors and survivors. ICNSS is a suitable nursing workload instrument to be used with the TISS score.     

TISS在SICU护理工作量评定与分析中的应用

目的：应用治疗干预计分系统（TISS）评定、分析外科重症监护病房（SICU）的护理工作量,为临床管理提供客观参考依据。方法：观察北京某三级甲等医院SICU半年内每天的护理记录并收集366例患者每天的TISS计分,统计SICU病房每天所有患者的TISS总分。结果：根据TISS给定的分级方法,826例次SICU患者的TISS计分均数为39.52,约需要1：1的护患比。其中有46.97%例次的TISS计分在40～87分之间,属于TISS分类Ⅳ级的重患者,需要1名或者1名以上的护士直接护理。SICU每天护理工作总量的TISS计分均数为195.74,每天满足患者直接护理需要的护士岗位职数为15人。TISS的76个护理干预项目中,心电图监护、每24小时的常规摄入及排出、留置导尿管的操作频次占前3位。结论：SICU护士处于超负荷工作状态。TISS为SICU护理工作量的评估和人力资源的合理使用提供了有力的依据;护患比例失调,护士编制不足,是监护病房亟待解决的问题。     

Nursing Activities Score in the intensive care unit: analysis of the related factors.

BACKGROUND: High costs of intensive care as well as quality of care and patient safety demand measurement of nursing workload in order to determine nursing staff requirements. It is also important to be aware of the factors related to high patient care demands in order to help forecast staff requirements in intensive care units (ICUs). OBJECTIVES: To describe nursing workload using the Nursing Activities Score (NAS); to explore the association between NAS and patients variables, i.e. gender, age, length of stay (LOS), ICU discharge, treatment in the ICU, Simplified Acute Physiology Score II (SAPS II) and Therapeutic Interventions Scoring System-28 (TISS-28). METHODS: NAS, demographic data, SAPS II and TISS-28 were analysed among 200 patients from four different ICUs in a private hospital in S?o Paulo, Brazil. RESULTS: NAS median were 66.4%. High NAS scores (> 66.4%) were associated with death (p-value 0.006) and LOS (p-value 0.015). Logistic regression analysis demonstrated that TISS-28 scores above 23 and SAPS II scores above 46.5 points, classified as high, increased 5.45 and 2.78 times, respectively, the possibility of a high workload as compared to lower values of the same indexes. CONCLUSION: This study shows that the highest NAS scores were associated with increased mortality, LOS, severity of the patient illness (SAPS II), and particularly to TISS-28 in the ICU.     

ICU患者疾病严重程度和治疗干预程度与直接护理时间关系的研究

目的了解ICU患者直接护理时间与疾病严重程度以及治疗干预程度的相关性。方法从急性生理功能和慢性健康评分≥9分的患者中便利选取样本53例,记录其急性生理功能与慢性健康评分、治疗干预程度评分分值,并测算其24h所需的直接护理时间。结果疾病严重程度不同的患者24h所需的直接护理时间不同;治疗干预计分系统得分不同的患者24h所需的直接护理时间不同;患者直接护理时间与急性生理功能和慢性健康评分、治疗干预计分系统评分的相关系数分别为0.497和0．690。结论患者24h所需直接护理时间与患者的疾病严重程度和治疗干预程度均呈正相关,建议采用治疗干预计分系统进行评分,预测ICU的护理工作量,进行护理人力配置。     

应用治疗干预评分系统评估肝胆外科监护室护理工作量的分析

目的运用治疗干预计评分系统对肝胆外科监护室护理工作量进行评估,对管理者合理排班提供指导意义。方法利用治疗干预评分量表-76每日分3个班次统计当班时患者病情最重时的评分,并统计1周不同工作日的治疗干预计评分系统总分,对1周不同工作日的总分及每个班次的治疗干预计评分系统评分进行比较。结果1周中不同工作日之间的护理工作量比较差异无统计学意义;白班与小夜班工作量差异无统计学意义(P0.05),白班与大夜班及小夜班与大夜班工作量差异有统计学意义(P0.01)。结论护理管理者应根据专科监护室的特点合理调整周末及夜班护理人力资源,以满足护理工作量需求。     

Nine equivalents of nursing manpower use score (NEMS)

Objectives: To develop a simplified Therapeutic Intervention Scoring System (TISS) based on the TISS-28 items and to validate the new score in an independent database. Design: Retrospective statistical analysis of a database and a prospective multicentre study. Setting: Development in the database of the Foundation for Research on Intensive Care in Europe with external validation in 64 intensive care units (ICUs) of 11 European countries. Measurements and results: Development of NEMS on a random sample of TISS-28 items, cross validation on another random sample of TISS-28, and external validation of NEMS in comparison with TISS-28 scored by two independent raters on the day of the visit to the ICUs participating in an international study. Multivariable regression techniques, Pearson's correlation, and paired sample t-tests were used (significance at p < 0.05 level). Intraclass correlation, rate of agreement, and kappa statistics were used for interrater reliability tests. The TISS-28 items were reduced to NEMS (9 items) in a random sample of 2000 records; the means of the two scores were no different: TISS-28 26.23 ± 10.38, NEMS 26.19 ± 9.12, NS. Cross-validation in a random sample of 996 records; mean TISS-28 26.13 ± 10.38, NEMS 26.17 ± 9.38, NS; R ² = 0.76. External validation on 369 pairs of TISS-28 and NEMS has shown that the means of the two scores were no different: TISS-28 27.56 ± 11.03, NEMS 27.02 ± 8.98, NS; R ² = 0.59. Reliability tests have shown an “almost perfect” interrater correlation. Similar to studies correlating TISS with Simplified Acute Physiology Score (SAPS)-I and/or Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II scores, the value of NEMS scored on the first day accounts for 30.4 % of the variation of SAPS-II score. Conclusions: NEMS is a suitable therapeutic index to measure nursing workload at the ICU level. The use of NEMS is indicated for: (a) multicentre ICU studies; (b) management purposes in the general (macro) evaluation and comparison of workload at the ICU level; (c) the prediction of workload and planning of nursing staff allocation at the individual patient level.     

Outcome prediction in intensive care: results of a prospective, multicentre, Portuguese study

Objective: To compare the performance of the New Simplified Acute Physiology Score (SAPS II) and Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II in an independent database, using formal statistical assessment. Design: Analysis of the database of a multicentre, prospective study. Setting: 19 intensive care units (ICUs) in Portugal. Patients: Data for 1094 patients consecutively admitted to the ICUs were collected over a period of 4 months. Following the original SAPS II and APACHE II criteria, the analysis excluded patients younger than 18 years of age, readmissions, acute myocardial infarction, burns, patients in the post-operative period after coronary artery bypass surgery, and patients with a length of stay in the ICU of less than 24 h. The group analysed comprised 982 patients. Interventions: Collection of the first 24 h admission data necessary for the calculation of SAPS II, APACHE II, Therapeutic Intervention Scoring System (TISS), Simplified TISS, organ system failure and basic demographic statistics. Vital status at discharge from the hospital was registered. Measurements and results: In this cohort, discrimination was better for SAPS II than for APACHE II (SAPS II: area under the receiver operating characteristic curve 0.817, standard error 0.015; APACHE II: 0.787, 0.015; p < 0.001); however, both models presented a poor calibration, with significant differences between observed and predicted mortality (Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness-of-fit tests H and C, p < 0.001). In a stratified analysis, this study was unable to demonstrate any definite pattern of association between the poor performance of the models and specific subgroups of patients except for the most severely ill patients, where both models overestimated mortality. Conclusions: SAPS II performed better than APACHE II in this independent database, but the results do not allow its use, at least without being customised, to analyse quality of care or performance among ICUs in the target population. Received: 2 April 1996 Accepted: 24 October 1996     

Evaluation of an interdisciplinary data set for national intensive care unit assessment.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the ability of an interdisciplinary data set (recently defined by the Austrian Working Group for the Standardization of a Documentation System for Intensive Care [ASDI]) to assess intensive care units (ICUs) by means of the Simplified Acute Physiology Score II (SAPS II) for the severity of illness and the simplified Therapeutic Intervention Scoring System (TISS-28) for the level of provided care. DESIGN: A prospective, multicentric study. SETTING: Nine adult medical, surgical, and mixed ICUs in Austria. PATIENTS: A total of 1234 patients consecutively admitted to the ICUs. INTERVENTIONS: Collection of data for the ASDI data set. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: The overall mean SAPS II score was 33.1+/-2.1 points. SAPS II overestimated hospital mortality by predicting mortality of 22.2%+/-2.9%, whereas observed mortality was only 16.8%+/-2.2%. The Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness-of-fit test for SAPS II scores showed lacking uniformity of fit (H = 53.78, 8 degrees of freedom; p < .0001). TISS-28 scores were recorded on 8616 days (30.6+/-1.5 points). TISS-28 scores were higher in nonsurvivors than in survivors (30.4+/-0.9 vs. 25.7+/-0.4, respectively; p < .05). No significant correlation between mean TISS-28 per patient per unit on the day of admission and mean predicted hospital mortality (r2 = .23; p < .54) or standardized mortality ratio per unit (r2 = -.22; p < .56) was found. CONCLUSIONS: Implementation of an interdisciplinary data set for ICUs provided data with which to evaluate performance in terms of severity of illness and provided care. The SAPS II did not accurately predict outcomes in Austrian ICUs and must, therefore, be customized for this population. A combination of indicators for both severity of illness and amount of provided care is necessary to evaluate ICU performance. Further data acquisition is needed to customize the SAPS II and to validate the TISS-28.     

运用TISS-28评分系统评价外科ICU护理工作量的研究

目的分析外科ICU不同时间段的护理工作量,探索合理安排护理人力、提高护理效率的方法。方法应用TISS-28评分系统对北京市某综合医院外科ICU患者的护理工作量进行测定。结果护士人均工作量较大,为（61．31±6．71）分;各班次护士人均工作量存在差别,其中夜班护士人均工作量较高;1周护理工作量周三得分最高。结论应用TISS-28评分系统进行护理工作量测定,为护理人力资源有效管理提供了依据。     

TISS-28 in difficult to wean patients after long-term mechanical ventilation

PURPOSE: To compare the Therapeutic Intervention Scoring System (TISS) 28 in difficult to wean patients before and after transfer to a weaning center. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Using TISS-28, the authors investigated the difference between regular intensive care units (ICUs) and the respiratory ICU (RICU) of their hospital in difficult to wean patients after long-term mechanical ventilation (MV). Special emphasis was placed on the appropriateness of TISS-28 to cover the specific weaning activities. 63 tracheotomized patients ventilated for more than 14 days were included. RESULTS: In total, 15.9% of patients were not weaned, 20.6% of population was successfully weaned with noninvasive ventilation (NIV), and 63.5% of patients was successfully weaned without NIV. The transfer of patients from other ICUs to a weaning facility resulted in a significant reduction of total TISS-28 from 29.5 to 23.8 points (p<0.001) on average. CONCLUSION: The high weaning success rate in a specialized facility is associated with a significant reduction of TISS-28 scores. The use of TISS-28 in a weaning center for patients with prolonged MV to measure workload does not adequately mirror the efforts by physicians, nurses, physiotherapists, and other health-care personnel.     

Serial measurement of Therapeutic Intervention Scoring System-28 (TISS-28) in a surgical intensive care unit

PurposeThe aim of the study was to assess the use of the Therapeutic Intervention Scoring System-28 (TISS-28) in surgical intensive care unit (ICU) patients and the relationship of the score to the type of surgery, severity of illness, and outcome in these patients.Materials and MethodsProspectively collected data from all patients admitted to a postoperative ICU between March 1, 2004, and June 30, 2006, were analyzed retrospectively.ResultsA total of 6903 patients were admitted during the study period (63.5% male; mean age, 62.3 years) constituting 29 140 observation days. The mean Simplified Acute Physiology Score (SAPS) II, Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA), and TISS-28 scores on the day of ICU admission were 36.9 ± 18.2, 5.8 ± 3.9, and 43.2 ± 10.8, respectively. The highest admission TISS-28 was observed in patients who underwent cardiothoracic surgery (47.7 ± 10.1), the lowest in neurosurgical patients (40 ± 9.6), and both declined during the 2 weeks after ICU admission; however, in trauma patients and those admitted after gastrointestinal surgery, TISS scores increased gradually after the first 2 to 5 days in the ICU. The TISS-28 score was moderately correlated to SAPS II (R² = 0.42; P < .001) and SOFA score (R² = 0.48; P < .001) throughout the ICU stay and was consistently higher in nonsurvivors than in survivors during the first 2 weeks in the ICU.ConclusionsThere are marked variations in TISS-28 scores according to the type of surgery. Therapeutic Intervention Scoring System-28 correlates with the severity of illness and outcome in these patients.     

Nursing workload in intensive care units: a study using the Therapeutic Intervention Scoring System-28 (TISS-28).

The Therapeutic Intervention Scoring System-28 (TISS-28) is an instrument that has been used to measure severity of illness and nursing workload in intensive care units (ICUs). OBJECTIVES: To characterize the severity of illness and nursing workload using the TISS-28 in 11 ICUs of a university hospital in the city of S?o Paulo, Brazil. METHODS: In a prospective study, data were collected from 271 patients admitted to the ICUs in December 2000 and the patients were followed up for 1 week. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Most of the patients were males (60.0%) and their mean age was 51(+20.6) years. Surgical treatment (66.8%) and admissions from the operating room were predominant. The mortality rate was 25.0% and the average length of stay was 7.7 (+10.4) days. The mean TISS-28 score was 23 (range: 14-32 points). The lowest mean score was observed for patients from the Burn ICU and the highest mean score was obtained for patients from the Liver Transplant ICU. A change in TISS-28 scores was observed in the same ICU over the 7-day study period. Units differed in terms of severity of illness and nursing workload. Patients who died received a higher TISS-28 score than patients who survived (p=0.00). As the nursing staff are the largest economic investment in an ICU, so measuring nursing workload in different ICUs from different centres can contribute to the estimation of nursing staff required according to the specific demands of the units.     

Case-mix-adjusted length of stay and mortality in 23 Finnish ICUs

Objectives  To create a tool for benchmarking intensive care units (ICUs) with respect to case-mix adjusted length of stay (LOS) and to study the association between clinical and economic measures of ICU performance. Design  Observational cohort study. Setting  Twenty-three ICUs in Finland. Patients  A total of 80,854 consecutive ICU admissions during 2000–2005, of which 63,304 met the inclusion criteria. Interventions  None. Measurements and results  Linear regression was used to create a model that predicted ICU LOS. Simplified Acute Physiology Score (SAPS) II, age, disease categories according to Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation III, single highest Therapeutic Intervention Scoring System score collected during the ICU stay and presence of other ICUs in the hospital were included in the model. Probabilities of hospital death were calculated using SAPS II, age, and disease categories as covariates. In the validation sample, the created model accounted for 28% of variation in ICU LOS across individual admissions and 64% across ICUs. The expected ICU LOS was 2.53 ± 2.24 days and the observed ICU LOS was 3.29 ± 5.37 days, P < 0.001. There was no association between the mean observed − mean expected ICU LOS and standardized mortality ratios of the ICUs (Spearman correlation 0.091, P = 0.680). Conclusions  We developed a tool for the assessment of resource use in a large nationwide ICU database. It seems that there is no association between clinical and economic quality indicators. Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Impact of standard procedures and clinical standards on cost-effectiveness and intensive care unit performance in adult patients after cardiac surgery

Objective: To investigate the impact of organizational procedures on intensive care unit (ICU) performance and cost-effectiveness after cardiac surgery. Design: Prospective study. Setting: Cardiothoracic ICU at a university hospital. Patients: Thousand five hundred twenty-six consecutive patients over a period of 18 months. Interventions: The first 6 months were used as the control period. Afterwards selected organizational changes were introduced, such as written standard procedures, time schedules and discharge reports. Measurements: Demographic data, surgical procedures, length of ICU and hospital stay and hospital outcome were recorded. Severity of illness was assessed daily using Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE II), Simplified Acute Physiology Score (SAPS II) and Organ Failure Score (OFS). Intensity of treatment and nursing care was monitored by the Therapeutic Intervention Scoring System (TISS). RIYADH ICU Program (RIP 5.0) was used to determine the relationship of observed to predicted mortality (standardized mortality ratio SMR) and the effective costs per survivor. Main results: SMR decreased continuously after the establishment of new management procedures while all other factors all other factors remained unchanged. Comparing outcome according to APACHE II on ICU admission demonstrated a significantly increased ICU performance in high risk patients with an APACHE II of 20–30 points (p < 0.05) while effective costs per survivor decreased significantly from DM 29,988 to DM 13,568 DM (p < 0.05). Conclusions: Organizational changes can improve ICU performance and cost-effectiveness after cardiac surgery. The RIP may be used to monitor the clinical and economical effects of change. Received: 16 December 1998 Accepted: 28 July 1999     

Patient severity as an indicator of nursing workload in the intensive care unit

The importance of measuring nursing workload in the intensive care unit (ICU) has been supported by both an increasing demand for nursing personnel and the relationship of nursing workload with patient safety. According to previous studies, the correlation between clinical severity of ICU patients and nursing workload measured by Therapeutic Intervention Scoring System has been estimated to be particularly high. The aim of this study was to investigate whether clinical severity of ICU patients can be used for the prediction of nursing workload on a daily basis. All patients admitted in the ICU of the General University Hospital of Patras for a 5-month period were enrolled in the study. Projet de Recherche en Nursing (PRN) Réa and Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II scores of patients were calculated, the first on a daily basis and the second on the day of admission. Simple linear regression was used for statistical analysis of data. One hundred thirty-eight patients were studied. A progressive increase in mean daily PRN Réa of patients all along the amplitude of APACHE II values was shown. APACHE II could predict 25.6% (p < 0.01) of the daily variability of PRN Réa of patients. Regarding categories of PRN Réa, respiration, communication, diagnostic methods and treatments were significantly predicted by APACHE II. APACHE II explained higher proportions of PRN Réa in medical male patients aged >60 years. Clinical severity of the ICU patients measured by APACHE II is an important early indicator of daily nursing workload, especially of care demands associated with respiration, diagnostic methods and treatments.     

Waiting for the break of dawn?

OBJECTIVE: To assess the effects of discharge Therapeutic Intervention Scoring System (TISS) scores, discharge time and type of discharge facility on ultimate hospital mortality after intensive care. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTING: General intensive care unit (ICU) in a district general hospital. PATIENTS AND PARTICIPANTS: One thousand six hundred fifty-four ICU patients discharged to hospital wards or high dependency units (HDUs). MAIN MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: Vital status at ultimate hospital discharge was the main outcome measurement. The crude hospital mortality after ICU discharge (12.6%) was significantly associated with increasing discharge TISS scores (chi(2) for trend =9.0, p=0.028). This trend was similarly observed after adjusting for severity of disease. Patients with high TISS scores (>30) who were discharged to hospital wards had a higher risk (1.31; CI: 1.02-1.83) of in-hospital death compared with patients discharged to HDUs. Crude mortality was significantly higher for late 20.00 h to 7.59 h) than for early (8.00 h to 19.59 h) discharges (18.8% versus 11.2%, chi(2) =12.1, p=0.0004). Adjusted for disease severity, the mortality risk was 1.70-fold (CI: 1.28-2.25) increased for late ICU discharges. Patients discharged late to hospital wards had significantly higher severity-adjusted risks (1.87; CI:1.36-2.56) than had patients discharged to HDUs (1.35; CI: 0.77-2.36). CONCLUSIONS: Both late discharge and high discharge TISS scores are indicators of "premature" ICU discharge and were associated with increased mortality. Intermediate care reduced the mortality of patients discharged "prematurely" from ICU. This adds to the growing evidence of the benefits of intermediate care after ICU discharge.     

Quality, cost, and outcome of intensive care in a public hospital in Bombay, India.

OBJECTIVE: To study the quality, cost, and benefits of intensive care in a public hospital in Bombay, India. DESIGN: Prospective collection of data. SETTING: Seventeen-bed medical-neurology-neurosurgery intensive care unit (ICU) of a municipal teaching hospital. PATIENTS: A total of 993 consecutive ICU patients during a 16-month period. INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: The 993 patients aged 36.5 +/- 16 yrs (mean +/- SD) had a day-1 Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II score of 14.9 +/- 9.6 (mean +/- SD), with a predicted mortality of 21.7%; the observed mortality was 36.2% (standardized mortality ratio = 1.67). The day-1 Therapeutic Intervention Scoring System (TISS) points were 17.7 +/- 6.2 (mean +/- SD), and total TISS points per patient were 87.6 +/- 110 (mean +/- SD). Nurse-to-patient ratio in the ICU was 3:17 and the average workload per nurse was 64.2 TISS points. The average length of stay was 5.5 days (SD = 7.1 days). The overall cost of treating 993 patients was, in Indian rupees (Rs), Rs 107,79,209 (U.S. $307,997), and cost per patient per day was Rs 1,973 (U.S. $57). The cost per survivor was Rs 17,029 (U.S. $487) and cost per TISS point was Rs 90.14 (U.S. $2.57). The low cost per TISS point was attributable to the reuse of disposable equipment and lower cost of drugs and salaries for medical and paramedical staff. CONCLUSIONS: Intensive care in India is cheaper than in the West; however, mortality is 1.67 times that for patients with similar APACHE II scores in ICUs in the United States. This finding may be attributable to the lesser intensity of care per patient (lower day-1 TISS points), lower nurse-to-patient ratio because of shortage of trained personnel and budgetary constraints, and higher workload per nurse (64.2 TISS points per nurse, compared with 40 points per nurse in the West). In addition, the APACHE II scores may underestimate mortality for Indian patients because of differences in case mix, higher lead time between onset of admission and treatment before ICU admission, and possible inappropriateness of age points derived from American patients for Indian subjects because of a higher burden of diseases at lower ages in Indian patients.     

Risk factors for prolonged ventilation after cardiac surgery using APACHE II, SAPS II, and TISS: comparison of three different models

OBJECTIVE: To identify the risk for prolonged mechanical ventilation in cardiac surgical patients. DESIGN: Prospective study with retrospective combination of a second database. PATIENTS: Six hundred and eighty-seven patients after cardiac surgery over a period of 12 months. MEASUREMENTS: Demographic data were recorded preoperatively, and surgical procedures intraoperatively using a surgical database designed for quality control. Length of ICU and hospital stay, and hospital outcome were recorded. Severity of illness was assessed daily using APACHE II, SAPS II, and Organ Failure Score. Intensity of treatment and nursing care was monitored by means of the Therapeutic Intervention Scoring System (TISS). Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed using logistic regression. The predictive value of the identified variables was tested by the Wilcoxon test using the receiver operating characteristic curve. MAIN RESULTS: Sixty-two patients (9.0%) were ventilated for > 48 h and accounted for 42.8% of the total costs in the ICU. The pre- and intraoperatively collected data produced a model with weak predictive capacity for prolonged ventilation [area under curve (AUC) 73.22 and 71.08, respectively]. The use of TISS and SAPS postoperatively resulted in an effective model of prediction (AUC 93.76). Adding the occurrence of reoperation, reintubation, emergency transfusion, intraaortic balloon pumping, and need for total parenteral nutrition to the model further improved its predictive capacity (AUC 94.74). CONCLUSIONS: The present results strongly suggest that data collected postoperatively using established scoring systems as well as documented events of high clinical impact for risk assessment and quality control are reliable predictors of prolonged ventilation.