[Clinical-epidemiological Characteristics of Adults and Aged Interned in an Intensive Care Unity of the Amazon (Rio Branco, Acre)]

Background And Objectives: The intensive care Medicine was initiated in the State of the Acre in 1998. The aim of the present study was to establish clinical-epidemiological characteristics of adults and aged interned in a public intensive care unit (ICU) in the Amazon.

Methods: In 2004, a prospective study evaluated patients interned through the application of a questionnaire containing socioeconomics variables, invasive procedures, mechanical ventilation, nutritional support, surgical interventions and dialitic treatment. The gravity was established by APACHE II applied after 24 hours of internment. The follow up continued until the final destination in the unit: discharge or death. The statistical analysis used program SPSS, considering differences significant when p < 0.05.

Results: A total of 79 patients were assessed; 67.1% men; 59.5% white; 59.5% married; 50.4% came from other hospitals; 41.8% from the interior and 13.9% from others States and country (Bolivia) in frontier. The age varied from 20 to 104 (53.3 ± 18.6) years old; 30 (36.1%) aged (60 y old or more); 35 (44.3%) in surgical treatment; the median APACHE II was 18.4 ± 9.1. The stay in the UCI was of 10.2 ± 9.6 days; death occurred in 30 (38%) patients. Association between mortality and dialitic treatment, clinical indication, mechanical ventilation, vasoactive therapy, number of surgical interventions, hypoalbuminemia, lymphocytopenia and gravity was observed.

Conclusions: The admission of severely ill patients coming from all over the State of Acre and frontier regions reflects the lack of ICU beds in the region.