Profile and severity of the patients of intensive care units: prospective application of the APACHE II index.

This study aimed to understand the profile and severity of patients in physiotherapy treatment after their admission to the intensive care unit (ICU) by applying the APACHE II index. One hundred and forty six subjects, with a mean age of 60.5 +/- 19.2 years, were evaluated. The APACHE II index was applied in the first 24 hours to evaluate the severity and mortality risk score. Patients were monitored until hospital discharge or death. The mean APACHE II score was 20+/-7.3 with an estimated risk of death of 32.4% and observed mortality of 58.2%. The mean hospital stay was 27.8+/-25.2 days. The patients in physiotherapy at the institution studied were predominantly male, elderly, from the emergency service for treatment (non-surgical), and had clear severity, suggested by the APACHE II score and the observed mortality.