resource utilization in intermediate care unit: is the simplified acute physiological score (saps ii) score reliable!

Abstract

Simplified Acute Physiology Score (SAPS II) is usually used In French Intermediate Care Unit to appreciate severity of patients and resource’s allocations. It’s on concern, particularly for surgical patients, that the use of SAPS II Score could underestimate severity of illness. A prospective study was conducted in a 19 beds intermediate care unit. All successive patients were included on a three months period. Collected data were: SAPS II Score and Therapeutic Intervention Scoring System (TISS 28) and demographic data. 458 patients were included. Adequacy of admission was confirmed in 95% of cases. Average SAPS II score was 16,59 +/- 9,03 and average TISS 28 was 19,33 +/- 4,53, average length of stay was 2,85 days +/- 2,46and average age 61,56 +/- 17,42 years. TISS 28 score is reliable in evaluating nurse ratio depending on density of care in intermediate care unit and appear more pertinent than SAPS II score especially concerning surgical patients and nursing workload. It could be crucial to consider the role of pertinent score in evaluating resource’s utilization and allocation. Other way the future of surgical intermediate care unit could be questioned.