2024 Volume 31 Issue 5 Pages 477-484
“The right patient in the right place at the right time.” This is a phrase coined by Florence Nightingale, a nurse and statistician, in a paper where she consolidated the data of severe trauma patients during the Crimean War, creating one of the first models for the ICU. This motto remains relevant in modern ICUs, emphasizing the need to provide intensive care to acute critically ill patients in the appropriate setting and timing to enhance patient outcomes. Although different countries have different criteria for ICU admission and discharge, the lack of high-quality evidence for the effectiveness of these criteria highlights the need to understand their limitations. This review introduces well-designed studies that utilize big data to assess the impact of ICU admission and discharge, aimed at bridging the current evidence gap. Furthermore, observational studies using the DPC database are presented as valuable evidence for Japan. The goal of this review is to provide healthcare professionals with evidence in relation to ICU admission and discharge so as to empower them in integrating this knowledge into their daily clinical practice, ultimately improving patient care for those facing ICU admission and discharge decisions.
