Canadian journal of anaesthesia = Journal canadien d'anesthésie
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The value of early warning scoring systems has been established in high-income countries. There is little evidence for their use in low-resource settings. We aimed to compare existing early warning scores to predict 30-day mortality. ⋯ We validated four scoring systems in predicting mortality in a Zambian surgical population. Further work is required to assess if implementation of these scoring systems can improve outcomes.
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There is conflicting evidence regarding the influence of intensive care unit (ICU) occupancy at the time of admission on important patient outcomes such as mortality. The objective of this analysis was to characterize the association between ICU occupancy at the time of ICU admission and subsequent mortality. ⋯ Admission to the ICU on days of high occupancy was associated with increased inpatient mortality, but not with increased 72-hr ICU mortality. Capacity strain on the ICU may result in significant negative consequences for patients, but further research is needed to fully characterize the complex effects of capacity strain.