[Activities at an Infectious Disease Intensive Care Unit (1988-1997)]

The practice of an Infectious Diseases Intensive Care Unit for a period of ten years (1988-1997) is reviewed. In this time 1,191 patients were treated--822 had more than 15 years of age and 369 were younger. The occupation rate ranged between 74.4% and 90.8%, and the mean patient stay in the UCI ranged between 6.7 and 12.5 days. Nine hundred and forty-four patients were discharged cured or improved during the stay and 247 (20.7%) died. The most frequent pathologies were: meningitis--371 patients (33.6%); encephalitis--103 (8.6%); and tetanus 143 (12.0%) patients. The morbidity and mortality of different pathologies admitted to the Intensive Care Unit are presented. The mortality rate of the two most common diseases (meningitis and tetanus) is discussed. The need for Intensive Care in the field of Infectious Diseases is stressed.