American journal of critical care : an official publication, American Association of Critical-Care Nurses
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Observational Study
Optimal timing of transfer out of the intensive care unit.
Little other than subjective judgment is available to help clinicians determine when a patient should be transferred out of the intensive care unit. ⋯ These data indicate an optimal time window for patients to leave the intensive care unit, with increased mortality not only if they leave earlier but also if they leave later than this optimal timing.