Crit Care Resusc
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To review the indications for admission, demographics, clinically relevant aspects of medical care and outcomes of critically ill obstetric patients admitted to a tertiary hospital intensive care unit. ⋯ This audit is a reminder that continued vigilance is required to ensure maternal safety. It also emphasises the need to integrate free-standing maternity units with hospital intensive care services.
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Severe septicaemia secondary to melioidosis carries a high mortality. Although melioidosis can involve most tissues and organs, pericardial involvement is rare. ⋯ This is the first case in Australia or New Zealand of melioid sepsis presenting with pericarditis and subsequent cardiac tamponade. We review the literature on cardiac involvement in melioidosis.
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Comparative Study
Observational study of patients admitted to intensive care units in Australia and New Zealand after interhospital transfer.
To describe the demographics, illness categories and outcomes of adult intensive care unit patients who underwent interhospital transfer (IHT). ⋯ Patients admitted to an ICU after IHT have significant resource implications based on their severity of illness, hospital stay and mortality, and adversely affect ICU capacity for elective and operating theatre admissions. Regional differences and temporal trends have implications for planning of ICU resources and require ongoing surveillance.
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Comparative Study
Outcomes of patients admitted to tertiary intensive care units after interhospital transfer: comparison with patients admitted from emergency departments.
To compare outcomes of patients admitted to tertiary-level intensive care units after interhospital transfer (IHT) with those of similar patients admitted from the emergency department (ED). ⋯ Patients admitted to an ICU from another hospital have higher hospital mortality and longer stay than those admitted from the ED, with the differences varying between diagnoses. These differences are important considerations for resource allocation and triage, and as a measure of quality.