The use of Apache II score as a tool for evaluating acute patient outcome at Kenyatta National Hospital Intensive Care Unit

Abstract

Critical Care is ideally offered to those patients whose clinical condition is potentially reversible and who have a good chance of surviving with physiological support. It is generally the most expensive high technology and resource intensive area of medical care. Scoring systems have been developed in response to an increasing emphasis on evaluation and monitoring of health services. These systems enable comparative audit and evaluative research of intensive care. The basic intention of this study was to use the APACHE II score as a qualitative measurement of outcomes ill the intensive care unit Kenyatta National Hospital. 150 patients were recruited over a period of three months. The mean apache II score was 18.73 and the SMR was 1.18 Study design Prospective hospital based survey· of consecutive admissions to the critical care unit (CCU). Setting - Kenyatta National Hospital CCU. Study population -Adult patients admitted to the Kenyatta National Hospital Critical Care Unit.