Demand for Intensive Care beds and patient classification according to the priority criterion

Abstract

Objective: to assess the demand for Intensive Care Unit beds as well as the classification of the patients for admission, according to the priority system. Method: a retrospective and crosssectional study, developed from January 2014 to December 2018 in two Intensive Care Units for adults of a university hospital. The sample consisted of the requests for vacancies according to the priority system (scale from 1 to 4, where 1 is the highest priority and 4 is no priority), registered in the institution’s electronic system. Results: a total of 8,483 vacancies were requested, of which 4,389 (51.7%) were from unit B. The highest percentage in unit A was of Priority 2 patients (32.6%); and Priority 1 was prevalent in unit B (45.4%). The median lead time between request and admission to unit A presented a lower value for priority 1 patients (2h57) and a higher value for priority 4 patients (11h24); in unit B, priority 4 patients presented shorter time (5h54) and priority 3 had longer time (11h54). 40.5% of the requests made to unit A and 48.5% of those made to unit B were fulfilled, with 50.7% and 48.5% of these patients being discharged from the units, respectively. Conclusion: it is concluded that the demand for intensive care beds was greater than their availability. Most of the patients assisted were priorities 1 and 2, although a considerable percentage of those classified as priorities 3 and 4 is observed.