Outcomes and cost-effectiveness of intermediate care units for patients discharged from the intensive care unit: a nationwide retrospective observational study
Discharge to an IMCU is associated with lower in-hospital mortality and ICU readmission rates compared to general ward discharge. High-risk subgroups, such as cardiovascular surgery patients, experienced cost-effective benefits from IMCU care. These findings highlight an association between IMCU admission and improved patient outcomes, suggesting a potential role in optimizing resource use in intensive care. Given the likelihood of selection bias in admission allocation, these findings should be interpretation with caution.
Authors
- Shizuha Yabuki (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4147-8014)
- Kiyohide Fushimi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1894-0290)
- Takuya Shiga (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7303-3653)
- Masanori Yamauchi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8708-6852)
- Kenji Fujimori (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2199-7172)
- Saori Ikumi
- Kunio Tarasawa (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7442-7926)
- Yukiko Wagatsuma (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8056-9998)
- Yukiko Ito (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3148-9860)
- Takahiro Imaizumi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3831-7241)
- Eichi Takaya (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2541-1685)
- Yu Kaiho (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8289-054X)
- Yudai Iwasaki (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0702-0392)
Institutions
- Tokyo Medical and Dental University (JP)
- Tsuda University (JP)
- Tohoku University (JP)
- Nagoya University Hospital (JP)
- Tohoku University Hospital (JP)
- Saiseikai Utsunomiya hospital (JP)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Critical Care
- Published
- 2025-04-23
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1186/s13054-025-05393-9
- Citations
- 6
- Primary Topic
- Emergency and Acute Care Studies
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 13.52
Funders
- Japan Society for the Promotion of Science