Prognosis in Neurological Intensive Care Unit

Objective: Neurocritical care or neurological intensive care provides critical care for patients with neurological or neurosurgical diseases. These patients need to receive medical care for both their primary critical illnesses, concomitant comorbidities and complications. The aim of this study is to compare the clinical outcomes of patients with neurological or neurosurgical diseases followed in general intensive care units and patients followed in neurological intensive care unit (neuro-ICU).
Materials and Methods: Patients with neurological and neurosurgical diseases who were followed in the ICUs by a neurointensivist were included in the study. The patients were categorized into two groups according to their ICU types and the study periods i.e the patients in the mixed general ICU (period-1) and patients in the neuro-ICU (period-2). The records in the hospital automation system and our database of patients were evaluated retrospectively.
Results: Sixty one patients in period-1 and 58 patients in period-2 were evaluated. ICU mortality, duration of ICU and hospital stay were lower in the neuro-ICU patients, but this difference was not statistically significant (p> 0.05). ICU readmission and in-hospital mortality were significantly lower in the neuro-ICU patients (p< 0.05).
Conclusion: We analyzed the effect of specialized neurocritical care and neuro-ICU organization on clinical outcome in patients. In order to obtain better patient management in the neuro-ICU, it is necessary to provide the quality improvement in terms of structure, performance and standardization of process. In Turkey, there is a need for studies regarding this subject in order to establish and agree on standards for neurocritical care.