South African medical journal = Suid-Afrikaanse tydskrif vir geneeskunde
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From 1981 to 1984, 1,720 patients requiring critical care were admitted to two multidisciplinary intensive care units (MDICUs) run by a department of critical care at the University of the Orange Free State, Bloemfontein. The majority (61%) were referred from outside the metropolitan area. The most important referring specialties were surgery (25%), medicine (19%), orthopaedics (14%), paediatrics (10%) and obstetrics and gynaecology (9%). ⋯ Care by the referring doctor was impractical and limited numbers of patients in each discipline make independent 'level-1' units (ICU doctor in unit at all times) undesirable. The cost of care of the 1,720 patients over 4 years was approximately R5 700,000. Demand for MDICU care increased by 40% from 1981 to 1984.