European Journal of Molecular & Clinical Medicine

Abstract

The severity of the illness and the decline in health status of critical patients determine the mortality rate in ICUs. Extremes of age, disease severity, and certain pre-existing comorbidities like diabetes are the factors that contribute to higher hospital death rates (e.g. Malignancy, Immunosuppressed status and patients on renal replacement therapy). Florence Nightingale recognised the need for clinical treatment outcome assessment for the first time in 1863. 2
Initially, the ability and judgement of the doctor was used to predict the outcome in critically ill patients. In order to improve procedures that are mostly based on evidence, the recent rapid rise of intensive care units has necessitated a quantitative evaluation and review of the outcomes. The first disease severity scores and outcome prediction models were created more than 25 years ago with the goal of determining the probability of fatality in critically sick patients. Since then, other Intensive Care unit scoring systems have been created, taking aetiology and varied scenarios into account. As a result, determining the prognosis is an essential component of managing any critically ill cases. 3