Articles: mortality.
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We surveyed nine pediatric intensive care units (ICUs) to compare patient populations and to test prospectively the hypothesis that differences in mortality rates were due to differences in severity of illness. Age, clinical service, the reason for admission (emergency or scheduled), and the seriousness of the underlying chronic disease were recorded on admission. The severity of illness was assessed on the day of admission with a physiology-based measure, the Physiologic Stability Index. ⋯ Mortality rates also differed significantly (range, 3.0 to 17.6 percent; P less than 0.0001), as did the Physiologic Stability Index scores (P less than 0.0001). The mathematical function based on the Physiologic Stability Index score and on age reliably predicted the outcomes in all ICUs. We conclude that differences in mortality rates among pediatric ICUs can be explained by differences in the severity of illness.
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Rev Epidemiol Sante · Jan 1987
[Relation between the level of the development of the care system and the level of "preventable" mortality according to department in France].
"Avoidable" mortality may be defined as a selection of causes of death whose occurrence is closely related to medical intervention. We have attempted to relate the variations in mortality from these selected causes to health service input among the 95 French departments. This analysis was controlled for social factors. ⋯ The data show principally the considerable weight of social factors in explaining mortality differences. On the contrary, we found very weak relationships between health service input and mortality. However in view of the analysis method, it would appear unjustified to interpret this result in terms of a criticism of the "avoidable" mortality concept.