Please see Bibliography of References for a list of abstracts, manuscripts and posters.

Other Studies

Intensive care unit outcome versus haemodynamic status on arrival at a general intensive care unit

Reynolds T, Theodoraki A, Ketchley I, Tillyard A, Lawson R, Al-Subaie N, Cecconi M, Grounds R, Rhodes A. Crit Care. 2007;11(Supp 2):S17. Abstract P43.

Introduction: Goal-directed therapeutic protocols such as that described by Rivers et al.1 have taken an important place in efforts to increase survival in septic patients. We looked at ICU outcomes for patients meeting the haemodynamic criteria of the Rivers trial on admission to our general intensive care unit.

Methods: We prospectively recorded haemodynamic parameters of 98 consecutive patients admitted to a mixed medical/surgical ICU and compared these to ICU outcome. Patients who met systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) criteria2 and had lactate >=4mmol/L or systolic blood pressure <=90mm Hg met Rivers criteria.

Results: We included 98 patients admitted to the ICU (60 male) of mean age 61 +/- 17 years. 14 patients (14%) died in ICU, and median length of stay was 3 (IQR 3) days. Overall 16 of the 98 patients met the Rivers criteria, 4 of whom died (25%). Median length of ICU stay for the Rivers patients was 5 (1.25) days.

Conclusion(s): 16 of 98 patients (16%) met Rivers criteria. Of medical and surgical emergency patients, this proportion rose to 16 of 55 (29%).

References: 1. Rivers E, et al.: N Eng J Med. 2001, 345:1368-77. 2. Levy M, et al.: Crit Care Med. 2003, 31:1250-56

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