The working practices and outcome of patients admitted into the intensive care unit (ICU) of the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH), a tertiary institution, was examined. The conditions under which these were carried out were reviewed over a 15year period (January 1985 to December 1999). We found that the admission rate was 53.3% with post-surgical patients in the majority (50.4%). One hundred and thirteen patients needed respiratory support and were ventilated (14.1%). The incidence of traccheostomy was 6.4, while the mean length of stay in the ICU was 7.1 days. Outcome of patients admitted into the unit included a mortality rate of 35.1%, 50% direct transfers to the ICU were found in the study. In addition, unnecessary long stay of patients in the ICU made their management not to be cost-effective.

Working practices and patient outcome in the intensive care unit of the University of Benin Teaching Hospital