Journal of neurology
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Journal of neurology · Nov 2017
Multicenter StudyPrognosis of patients with primary malignant brain tumors admitted to the intensive care unit: a two-decade experience.
The purpose of this study is to describe the reasons for ICU admission and to evaluate the outcome and prognostic factors of patients with primary malignant brain tumors (PMBT) admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU). This is a retrospective observational cohort study of 196 PMBT patients admitted to two ICUs over a 19-year period. Acute respiratory failure was the main reason for ICU admission (45%) followed by seizures (25%) and non-epileptic coma (14%). ⋯ The prognosis of PMBT patients admitted to the ICU appears relatively favorable compared to that of hematologic malignancies or solid tumors, especially when the patient is admitted for seizures. The presence of a PMBT, therefore, does not appear to be sufficient for refusal of ICU admission. Predictive factors of mortality may help clinicians make optimal triage decisions.