ArticleEuropean journal of medical research2023
The burden of critical illness among adults in a Swedish region-a population-based point-prevalence study.
Article in European journal of medical research, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.
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5 citing papers in PubMed, 14 citations in OpenAlex.
- Preserving patient safety in Nordic emergency care: concerns from Nordic anaesthesiology societies regarding development goals of emergency medicine.Scandinavian journal of trauma, resuscitation and emergency medicine · 2026Article
- Time-critical care gaps and systemic delays linked to higher mortality in severe trauma patients in Tanzania.BMC emergency medicine · 2026Observational
- Lessons learned from the promotion of Essential Emergency and Critical Care in Tanzania - a qualitative study.BMJ open · 2025Article
- The African Critical Illness Outcomes Study (ACIOS): a point prevalence study of critical illness in 22 nations in Africa.Lancet (London, England) · 2025Article
- Capability to identify and manage critical conditions: effects of an interprofessional training intervention.BMC medical education · 2024Article
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Authors and funding
8 authors at 4 institutions in 3 countries.
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Abstract
backgroundPatients with critical illness have a high risk of mortality. Key decision-making in the health system affecting the outcomes of critically ill patients requires epidemiological evidence, but the burden of critical illness is largely unknown. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of critical illness in a Swedish region. Secondary objectives were to estimate the proportion of hospital inpatients who are critically ill and to describe the in-hospital location of critically ill patients.
methodsA prospective, multi-center, population-based, point-prevalence study on specific days in 2017-2018. All adult (> 18 years) in-patients, regardless of admitting specially, in all acute hospitals in Sörmland, and the patients from Sörmland who had been referred to university hospitals, were included. Patients in the operating theatres, with a psychiatric cause of admission, women in active labor and moribund patients, were excluded. All participants were examined by trained data collectors. Critical illness was defined as "a state of ill health with vital organ dysfunction, a high risk of imminent death if care is not provided and a potential for reversibility". The presence of one or more severely deranged vital signs was used to classify critical illness. The prevalence of critical illness was calculated as the number of critically ill patients divided by the number of adults in the region.
resultsA total of 1269 patients were included in the study. Median age was 74 years and 50% of patients were female. Critical illness was present in 133 patients, resulting in an adult population prevalence of critical illness per 100,000 people of 19.4 (95% CI 16.4-23.0). The proportion of patients in hospital who were critically ill was 10.5% (95% CI 8.8-12.3%). Among the critically ill, 125 [95% CI 94.0% (88.4-97.0%)] were cared for in general wards.
conclusionsThe prevalence of critical illness was higher than previous, indirect estimates. One in ten hospitalized patients were critically ill, the large majority of which were cared for in general wards. This suggests a hidden burden of critical illness of potential public health, health system and hospital management significance.
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