Prognostic scoring systems for mortality in intensive care units--the APACHE model.

The APACHE (Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation) scoring system is time consuming. The mean time for introducing a patient's data to APACHE IV is 37.3 min. Nevertheless, statisticians have known for years that the higher the number of variables the mathematical model describes, the more accurate the model. Because of the necessity of gathering data over a 24-hour period and of determining one cause for ICU admission, the system is troublesome and prone to mistakes. The evolution of the APACHE scoring system is an example of unfulfilled hopes for accurately estimating the risk of death for patients admitted to the ICU; satisfactory prognostic effects resulting from the use of APACHE II and III have been recently studied in patients undergoing liver transplantations. Because no increase in the predictive properties of successive versions has been observed, the search for other solutions continues. The APACHE IV scoring system is helpful; however, its use without prepared spreadsheets is almost impractical. Therefore, although many years have passed since its original publication, APACHE II or its extension APACHE III is currently used in clinical practice.