Airway and head and neck high dependency unit: a single-centre experience

Dedicated otolaryngology high dependency units are uncommon. This paper reports the first experiences of such a facility in the UK, assessing reason for admission, duration of stay, occupancy rate and need for care escalation. The study sought to assess the presence of similar units in the UK.

A retrospective review of high dependency unit admissions over an 18-month period and a national survey of otolaryngology departments in the UK were conducted to establish the overall presence and location of similar high dependency units.

A total of 128 patients were admitted during the study period, mainly following surgery and because of airway compromise. The average duration of stay was 2-3 days (range, 1-12 days). The occupancy rate was 31.7 per cent. No patients required their care to be escalated to the intensive care unit. Seven similar high dependency units were identified in the UK.

The care provided prevented the need for escalation of care to an intensive care unit. This challenges the need for patient management on intensive care units following major surgery or airway compromise for those not requiring assisted ventilation. High dependency units similar to ours are not widespread.