Outcomes in patients requiring intensive care unit (ICU) admission after emergency laparotomy: A retrospective study

Abstract

Purpose: Outcomes after emergency laparotomy (EL) are poor. These patients are often admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU). This study explored outcomes in patients who were admitted to an ICU within 48 h after EL. Materials and Methods: This retrospective single-center registry study included all patients over 16 years of age that underwent an EL and were admitted to an ICU within 48 h after surgery in Oulu University Hospital, Finland between January 2005 and May 2015. Survival was followed until the end of 2019. Results: We included 525 patients. Hospital mortality was 13.3%, 30-day mortality was 17.3%, 90-day mortality was 24.2%, 1-year mortality was 33.0%, and 5-year mortality was 59.4%. Survivors were younger (57 [45–70] years) than the non-survivors (73 [62–80] years; p