Background: The Intensive Cardiac Care Unit (ICCU) has greatly evolved for decades: it no longer includes only patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). The clinical characteristics and pathological profiles of patients have markedly changed. Detailed data on the topic are critically lacking.
Methods: We present here a French nation-wide administrative database with an exhaustive description of patients admitted to ICCU throughout a whole year (2014).
Results: A total of 277,845 patients in 270 centers were admitted to ICCUs at least once in 2014 (exhaustive data). Median age was 71years (IQR: 59-81) and the patients were primarily male (63%). Mean ICCU stay was 2.0days (1.0-4.0). CAD patients (49.0%) represented the major group admitted, followed by patients with arrhythmias (15.2%) and heart failure (HF) (10.0%). Patients admitted with acute CAD were significantly younger (mean age 67.4 y), had better outcomes (mortality 4.0%), and shorter hospital stays (mean stay 6.7 d). Patients with HF were significantly older (mean age 75.2 y), with longer hospital stays (mean stay 12.0 d), and poorer outcomes (mortality 10.5%).
Conclusion: We present here the largest contemporary administrative database on patients admitted to ICCUs in a developed country. CAD (mainly acute coronary syndromes) remains the primary cause of admission but the population is, by far, more complex than generally considered.
Keywords: Acute cardiac care; Database; Emergency; Intensive cardiac care unit; Intensive cardiovascular care unit; Intensive care.
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