ADMISSION PATTERNS AND OUTCOMES IN THE MEDICAL INTENSIVE CARE UNIT OF ST. PAUL’S HOSPITAL MILLENNIUM MEDICAL COLLEGE, ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA.

BACKGROUND: Knowledge of the characteristics and outcomes of critically ill patients admitted to Medical Intensive Care Unit (MICU) helps with identification of priorities and the resources required to improve care. The objective of this study was to examine admission patterns and outcomes in MICU at St. Paul’s Hospital Millennium Medical College.

MATERIALS: A retrospective review of 1256 patients’ case notes who were admitted to the MICU at St. Paul’s Hospital Millennium Medical College from 2007 to 2012 was carried out. The data was analyzed by SPSS version 18.0 to obtain descriptive and inferential measurements. P values < 0.05 were considered significant for all tests.

RESULTS: Among specific diagnoses, diabetic ketoacidosis; 187 (14.9%), was the leading cause of admission, followed by all Strokes; 103 (8.2%), and Unspecified Diseases of Circulatory System; 81 (6.4%). The overall mortality rate was 39 %. Strokes were the leading causes of death, accounting for 12.2% of total deaths. The deceased were older than the survivors by five mean age years, mean age (±SD) 41.9 (± 18.5) and 36.7 (± 17.4) years, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS: Non- communicable will continue to be increasing proportion of ICU admissions in the study. The mortality in this study is also substantial, and reasons looks like late admissions and limited care in the facility. Improving the ICU infrastructure and staffing with skilled personnel might improve the quality of care.