Outcomes of Intensive Care Unit admissions after elective cancer surgery

Background: Postoperative care for major elective cancer surgery is frequently provided on the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Objective: To analyze the characteristics and outcome of patients after ICU admission following elective surgery for different cancer diagnoses. Methods: We analyzed all ICU admissions following elective cancer surgery in the Netherlands collected in the National Intensive Care Evaluation registry between January 2007 and January 2012. Results: 28,973 patients (9.0% of all ICU admissions; 40% female) were admitted to the ICU after elective cancer surgery. Of these admissions 77% were planned; in 23% of cases the decision for ICU admission was made during or directly after surgery. The most frequent malignancies were colorectal cancer (25.6%), lung cancer (18.5%) and tumors of the central nervous system (14.3%). Mechanical ventilation was necessary in 24.8% of all patients, most frequently after surgery for esophageal (62.5%) and head and neck cancer (50.2%); 20.7% of patients were treated with vasopressors in the acute postoperative phase, in particular after surgery for esophageal cancer (41.8%). The median length of stay on the ICU was 0.9 days (interquartile ranges [IQR] 0.8-1.5); surgery for esophageal cancer was associated with the longest ICU length of stay (median 2.0 days) with the largest variation (IQR 1.0-4.8 days). ICU mortality was 1.4%; surgery for gastrointestinal cancer was associated with the highest ICU mortality (colorectal cancer 2.2%, pancreatico-cholangiocarcimoma 2.0%). Conclusion: Elective cancer surgery represents a significant part of all ICU admissions, with a short length of stay and low mortality. (c) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.