• J V DiCarlo, T A Zaitseva, T V Khodateleva, I D Belayeva, D A Stroganov, L M Korobko, A V Lee, B Mescheryakov, J S Sullivan, and V F Alies.
• Russian office of Project HOPE, Russian Federation, Moscow.
• Crit. Care Med. 1996 Aug 1;24(8):1403-7.

ObjectiveComparative assessment of pediatric intensive care.DesignProspective multicenter study.SettingFour pediatric intensive care units in Moscow, the Russian Federation.PatientsConsecutive unselected admissions (n = 583), < or = 14 yrs of age, in a 6-month period.InterventionsNone.Measurements And Main ResultsEffectiveness was defined as the ratio of observed to predicted mortality, based on prediction by Pediatric Risk of Mortality (PRISM) severity of illness scoring. Efficiency (on the day of admission only) depended on either a mortality risk of > 1% or the administration of intensive care unit-dependent therapies. In all four hospitals, observed mortality rates were higher than expected, with a range of standardized mortality ratios between 1.10 and 1.83 (mean 1.32). The excess mortality was found in the low- and medium-risk strata (risk of mortality of < 1% to 15%). Admission efficiency ratings did not fluctuate greatly between institutions (mean 60.4%, range 55.7 to 65.9).ConclusionsWe provided a quantitative description and assessment of pediatric intensive care in Moscow. Moderate efficiency may reflect a low threshold for ICU admission due to poor nurse/patient ratios on the wards. Effectiveness in the low- and medium-risk strata is below standard, as compared with a Western reference population. Excess mortality was concentrated in the low- and medium-risk strata, and can only partially be explained by the inclusion of co-morbidity. Future analysis should focus on specific treatment protocols, protocol adherence, and the determination of infectious and therapeutic complications.

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