Characteristics and Outcomes of Patients Admitted to Intensive Care Units in an Academic Hospital Northern Iran

Background: Identifying risk factors that predict mortality in the intensive care unit (ICU) can lead to improved management of critically ill patients and help reduce mortality rates. Objectives: This study aimed to identify the prevalence and risk factors that potentially contribute to predicting mortality in the ICU. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in the general ICU of an academic hospital in northeastern Iran from April 2019 to March 2023. Demographic and clinical data were retrieved from medical records, including age, gender, marital status, residency, length of stay in the ICU, level of consciousness, duration of mechanical ventilation (MV), and co-morbidities. The outcomes were categorized as death or discharge. Results: Out of 8,650 admitted patients, 62.8% were discharged, and 37.2% died. The factors significantly associated with death included age (59.24 ± 21.9 years vs. 49.63 ± 23.32 years, P < 0.0001), female gender (42.7% vs. 57.3%, P < 0.0001), marital status (41.1% married vs. 58.9% unmarried, P < 0.0001), length of stay in the ICU (5.99 ± 9.09 days vs. 4.13 ± 6.55 days, P < 0.0001), Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) of 3 - 5 (87.9% vs. 12.1%, P < 0.0001), duration of MV (4.86 ± 8.69 days vs. 1.09 ± 4.85 days, P < 0.0001), and co-morbidities (44.7% vs. 55.3%, P < 0.0001), which were confirmed by logistic regression analysis. Conclusions: The prevalence of death in the ICU was 37.2%. Age, co-morbidities, cerebral vascular accident (CVA), GCS, duration of MV, and marital status were significantly associated with mortality.