Admission and Discharge in the Critical Care in Oncology Setting

Cancer patients require admission to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) for various indications. Not all cancer patients requiring ICU admission benefit from the same. Some patients with reversible pathologies and increased life expectancy benefit more from intensive care than others. Patients with irreversible organ damage and reduced life expectancy occupy the ICU bed depriving needy patients of the required level of care. Hence inclusion of admission criteria is required for optimal utilization of the available ICU beds in the Oncology setting [1]. Similar to admission to ICU, appropriate discharge timing is essential to prevent ICU related complications in prolonged admission and to utilize the bed for the next deserving patient.Discharge of patients from the ICU includes conditions when the patient has improved so that there is no further need of ICU care or when the patient has deteriorated or remained status quo and further intensive care management would prove futile. Hence evidence-based discharge criteria would further support optimal utilization of ICU beds.