[Value of APACHEIIfor predicting the nursing workload in EICU].

Area of Science:

• Critical Care Medicine
• Nursing Management
• Health Services Research

Background:

• Nursing workload in emergency intensive care units (EICUs) is a critical factor impacting patient care quality and staff well-being.
• Accurate prediction of nursing workload is essential for effective resource allocation and staffing in high-acuity settings.
• The Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II) score is a widely used severity-of-illness measure.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the predictive capability of the APACHE II score for quantifying nursing workload within an EICU.
• To establish the relationship between patient severity, as indicated by APACHE II scores, and the nursing interventions required, measured by the TISS-28 score.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective cohort study analyzed 1,148 critical care patients (excluding trauma) admitted to the EICU.
• APACHE II and Therapeutic Intervention Scoring System (TISS-28) scores were calculated for each patient.
• Correlation and curve estimation analyses were performed to determine the relationship between APACHE II and TISS-28 scores.

Main Results:

• A strong positive correlation (Spearman's rho = 0.849, P < 0.001) was observed between APACHE II and TISS-28 scores.
• A cubic model best described the relationship (R² = 0.792, P < 0.01), indicating a non-linear association.
• Nursing workload significantly increased for patients with APACHE II scores of 30 or higher.

Conclusions:

• The APACHE II score serves as a valuable tool for predicting nursing workload in the EICU setting.
• This predictive ability can aid in optimizing staffing and resource management in critical care environments.
• The findings support the use of APACHE II scores in proactive nursing workload assessment.