Complications of care in a medical intensive care unit

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Abstract
Objective:To determine the frequency and nature of complications of care in the medical intensive care unit (MICU). Design:Prospective, observational study. Setting:Seven-bed MICU in a teaching and referral VA hospital. Patients:295 consecutive patients admitted to the MICU during a ten-month study period. Interventions:None. Measurements and main results:Forty-two patients (14%, 95% confidence interval 13%, 16%) experienced one or more complications during their MICU stays. Compared with other MICU patients, those experiencing complications tended to be older (mean age ± SD: 63.6±10.1 years vs 59.3±14.0 years, p. Conclusion:Complications of care in the MICU are not rare and may independently contribute to in-hospital mortality. The potential for complications must be recognized when considering ICU care.