Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33884452›Full record

ArticleIntensive care medicine2021

Gender differences in the provision of intensive care: a Bayesian approach.

Atanas Todorov, Fabian Kaufmann, Ketina Arslani, Achi Haider, Susan Bengs, Georg Goliasch, Núria Zellweger, Janna Tontsch, Raoul Sutter, Bigna Buddeberg and 7 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Intensive care medicine, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 51 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
51citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

51 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Article
  6. Article
  7. Article
  8. Review
  9. Article
  10. Article
  11. Gender predictors of adverse health.Journal of health psychology · 2026
    Article
  12. Article
  13. Article
  14. Article
  15. Article
  16. Article
  17. Observational
  18. Article
  19. Article
  20. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

17 authors.

Atanas Todorov *Intensive Care Unit, University Hospital Basel, Petersgraben 4, 4031, Basel, Switzerland.
Fabian Kaufmann *Intensive Care Unit, University Hospital Basel, Petersgraben 4, 4031, Basel, Switzerland.
Ketina ArslaniDepartment of Cardiology, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
Achi HaiderDepartment of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
Susan BengsDepartment of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
Georg GoliaschDepartment of Internal Medicine II, Division of Cardiology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
Núria ZellwegerIntensive Care Unit, University Hospital Basel, Petersgraben 4, 4031, Basel, Switzerland.
Janna TontschIntensive Care Unit, University Hospital Basel, Petersgraben 4, 4031, Basel, Switzerland.
Raoul SutterIntensive Care Unit, University Hospital Basel, Petersgraben 4, 4031, Basel, Switzerland.
Bigna BuddebergDepartment of Anesthesiology, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
Alexa HollingerIntensive Care Unit, University Hospital Basel, Petersgraben 4, 4031, Basel, Switzerland.
Elisabeth ZempUniversity of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
Mark KaufmannDepartment of Anesthesiology, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
Martin SiegemundIntensive Care Unit, University Hospital Basel, Petersgraben 4, 4031, Basel, Switzerland.
Cathérine GebhardDepartment of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
Caroline E GebhardIntensive Care Unit, University Hospital Basel, Petersgraben 4, 4031, Basel, Switzerland. evacaroline.gebhard@usb.ch.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4975-2679
Swiss Society of Intensive Care Medicine

Funding

EMDO Stiftung CGGottfried Julia Bangerter-Rhyner Foundation RSHelmut Horten Foundation CGIten-Kohaut Foundation/University Hospital Zurich Foundation CGLOOP-Zurich, Switzerland CGNovartis Stiftung für Medizinisch-Biologische Forschung CGOlga Mayenfisch Stiftung CGOPO-Stiftung CGResearch Foundation in Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, University Hospital Basel CEGResearch Fund of the University Basel RSResearch Fund of the University of Basel CEGSchweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung CEGSchweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung CGScientific Society Basel RSSwiss Academy of Medical Sciences and the Gottfried and Julia Bangerter-Rhyner-Foundation, Switzerland KASwissheart Foundation CGSwissheart Foundation SBSwiss National Foundation (No 320030_169379) RSUZH Foundation AHUZH Foundation, Switzerland SB
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeIt is currently unclear whether management and outcomes of critically ill patients differ between men and women. We sought to assess the influence of age, sex and diagnoses on the probability of intensive care provision in critically ill cardio- and neurovascular patients in a large nationwide cohort in Switzerland.

methodsRetrospective analysis of 450,948 adult patients with neuro- and cardiovascular disease admitted to all hospitals in Switzerland between 01/2012 and 12/2016 using Bayesian modeling.

resultsFor all diagnoses and populations, median ages at admission were consistently higher for women than for men [75 (64;82) years in women vs. 68 (58;77) years in men, p < 0.001]. Overall, women had a lower likelihood to be admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU) than men, despite being more severely ill [odds ratio (OR) 0.78 (0.76-0.79)]. ICU admission probability was lowest in women aged > 65 years (OR women:men 0.94 (0.89-0.99), p < 0.001). Women < 45 years had a similar ICU admission probability as men in the same age category [OR women:men 1.03 (0.94-1.13)], in spite of more severe illness. The odds to die were significantly higher in women than in men per unit increase in Simplified Acute Physiology Score (SAPS) II (OR 1.008 [1.004-1.012]).

conclusionIn the care of the critically ill, our study suggests that women are less likely to receive ICU treatment regardless of disease severity. Underuse of ICU care was most prominent in younger women < 45 years. Although our study has several limitations that are imposed by the limited data available from the registries, our findings suggest that current ICU triage algorithms could benefit from careful reassessment. Further, and ideally prospective, studies are needed to confirm our findings.

Indexed as

Critical CareSex CharacteristicsAdultBayes TheoremCritical IllnessFemaleHumansIntensive Care UnitsMaleProspective StudiesRetrospective StudiesSwitzerlandCardiovascular diseaseCritical illnessGender biasSurvivalWomen

Identifiers

PMID33884452
PMCPMC8139895

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.