Prediction of chronic critical illness in a general intensive care unit.

OBJECTIVE To assess the incidence, costs, and mortality associated with chronic critical illness (CCI), and to identify clinical predictors of CCI in a general intensive care unit. METHODS This was a prospective observational cohort study. All patients receiving supportive treatment for over 20 days were considered chronically critically ill and eligible for the study. After applying the exclusion criteria, 453 patients were analyzed. RESULTS There was an 11% incidence of CCI. Total length of hospital stay, costs, and mortality were significantly higher among patients with CCI. Mechanical ventilation, sepsis, Glasgow score <15, inadequate calorie intake, and higher body mass index were independent predictors for CCI in the multivariate logistic regression model. CONCLUSIONS CCI affects a distinctive population in intensive care units with higher mortality, costs, and prolonged hospitalization. Factors identifiable at the time of admission or during the first week in the intensive care unit can be used to predict CCI.