One-Year Diagnosis and Cost Analysis of Patients Admitted to Intensive Care Units from the Emergency Department

Objective: This study aimed to conduct a one-year diagnostic and cost analysis of patients admitted from the emergency department to intensive care units. Methods: In this retrospective study, we analyzed demographic data, the intensive care units to which patients were admitted, months of admission, admission diagnoses, length of stay, costs associated with diagnoses, and one-year prognosis outcomes for patients admitted from the emergency department of Göztepe Prof. Dr. Süleyman Yalçın City Hospital to internal medicine and general ICUs from January 1, 2015, to December 31, 2015. Results: The study included data from 90 patients, comprising 52 males (57.8%) and 38 females (42.2%). The average age of participants was 68.04 ± 18.44 years. Patients were mainly admitted to the ICU with diagnoses of pneumonia (22.2%) and congestive heart failure (15.6%), respectively. ICU admissions peaked in March (16%), followed by May (12%) and April (11%). A total of 89 patients (98.9%) were admitted to the Internal Medicine ICU. The highest costs were linked to patients diagnosed with pneumonia and anemia. The average cost of services provided for all diagnoses was 1,572.33 Euros. The average length of stay for each patient in the ICU was 11.26 days. The highest daily costs were observed in patients with myocardial infarction (MI), sepsis, and pneumonia. Among the patients, 45.6% died, while 52.2% were discharged. Conclusion: In our study, most intensive care patients were male. Pneumonia was the most prevalent diagnosis, peaking in late winter and early spring. Patients suffering from pneumonia and anemia incurred the highest treatment costs. Sepsis and CHF contributed to the longest stays in intensive care. Our mortality rate was 45.6%, significantly higher among those diagnosed with pneumonia. Keywords: Emergency Department, Diagnosis, Cost, Intensive Care Unit, Mortality