Korean J Med.  2011 Feb;80(2):152-157.

Prevention of Complications in Critically Ill Patients

• Lee WY

Abstract

Critically ill patients requiring treatment in intensive care unit (ICU) are increasing recently. The patients treating in intensive care unit have various catheter, device, antibiotics treatment, and decreased immunity, and are prone to get complications from those. Some complications are clinically insignificant, but some complications may be fatal. The serious complications are including ventilator associated pneumonia that is one type of hospital acquired pneumonia, venous thromboembolism that is a major risk factor of pulmonary embolism, and stress related ulcer that make clinically significant gastrointestinal bleeding. Those complications prolong ICU stay period, increase morbidity and mortality, and cost. Therefore we should try to decrease incidence of those complications. The methods to decrease the complications in ICU are including education of facility staffs including physicians, nurses, students, and other staffs, and daily formal routine evaluation of patients in ICU.

Keyword

Complication; Critically-ill; Prevention; ICU

MeSH Terms

Anti-Bacterial Agents
Catheters
Critical Illness
Hemorrhage
Humans
Incidence
Intensive Care Units
Pneumonia
Pneumonia, Ventilator-Associated
Pulmonary Embolism
Risk Factors
Ulcer
Venous Thromboembolism
Anti-Bacterial Agents