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Hoffman LA, Tasota FJ, Zullo TG, Scharfenberg C, Donahoe MP. Outcomes of Care Managed by an Acute Care Nurse Practitioner/Attending Physician Team in a Subacute Medical Intensive Care Unit. Am J Crit Care 2005. [DOI: 10.4037/ajcc2005.14.2.121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
Abstract
• Background Many academic medical centers employ nurse practitioners as substitutes to provide care normally supplied by house staff.• Objective To compare outcomes in a subacute medical intensive care unit of patients managed by a team consisting of either an acute care nurse practitioner and an attending physician or an attending physician and critical care/pulmonary fellows.• Methods During a 31-month period, in 7-month blocks of time, 526 consecutive patients admitted to the unit for more than 24 hours were managed by one or the other of the teams. Patients managed by the 2 teams were compared for a variety of outcomes.• Results Patients managed by the 2 teams did not differ significantly for any workload, demographic, or medical condition variable. The patients also did not differ in readmission to the high acuity unit (P = .25) or subacute unit (P = .44) within 72 hours of discharge or in mortality with (P = .25) or without (P = .89) treatment limitations. Among patients who had multiple weaning trials, patients managed by the 2 teams did not differ in length of stay in the subacute unit (P = .42), duration of mechanical ventilation (P = .18), weaning status at time of discharge from the unit (P = .80), or disposition (P = .28). Acute Physiology Scores were significantly different over time (P = .046). Patients managed by the fellows had more reintubations (P=.02).• Conclusions In a subacute intensive care unit, management by the 2 teams produced equivalent outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leslie A. Hoffman
- Schools of Nursing (LAH, FJT, TGZ, CS) and Medicine, Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine (MPD), University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pa
| | - Frederick J. Tasota
- Schools of Nursing (LAH, FJT, TGZ, CS) and Medicine, Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine (MPD), University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pa
| | - Thomas G. Zullo
- Schools of Nursing (LAH, FJT, TGZ, CS) and Medicine, Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine (MPD), University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pa
| | - Carmella Scharfenberg
- Schools of Nursing (LAH, FJT, TGZ, CS) and Medicine, Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine (MPD), University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pa
| | - Michael P. Donahoe
- Schools of Nursing (LAH, FJT, TGZ, CS) and Medicine, Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine (MPD), University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pa
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