The role of an intensive care unit in a community hospital. A ten-year review with observations on utilization past, present, and future
J. B. Nelson Jr
A retrospective ten-year review of the surgical-intensive-care-unit
utilization practices at Riverside Community Hospital revealed that,
according to the author's criteria, an average of 32% of over 800 yearly
admissions could have been safely managed in a less intensive and expensive
environment. The admission practices, monitoring parameters, length of
stay, and intensity of nursing interaction were evaluated and compared with
those of published reports. Prospective payment by diagnosis-related groups
will likely force a change in the existing use of surgical intensive care
units. Surgeons are urged to examine the utilization of their hospitals'
intensive care units and actively work with their hospital administration
to establish intermediate care units so that patients will not be
jeopardized by the impending fiscal constraints of diagnosis-related
groups.
