Central Annals of Public Health and Research Cite this article: Salah MS, El Gaeedy G (2018) Intensive Care Unit Admissions and Outcomes in Gaza Strip. Ann Public Health Res 5(1): 1069. *Corresponding author Mo ta se m S. Sa la h, Unive rsity C o lle g e o f Ap p lie d Sc ie nc e s, Pa le stine , Ema il: Submitte d: 29 January 2018 Accepted: 21 Fe b rua ry 2018 Publishe d: 23 Fe b rua ry 2018 Copyright © 2018 Sa la h e t a l. OPEN ACCESS Ke ywo rds • Inte nsive c a re unit • Ad missio n • Outcome Research Article Intensive Care Unit Admissions and Outcomes in Gaza Strip Motasem Said Salah 1 * and Gehad El Gaeedy 2 1 University College of Applied Sciences, Palestine 2 Head of Critical Care Unit, Al Shifa Medical Complex, Palestine Abstract Background: The complexities of the critical ill patients in the Intensive care unit (ICU) require huge resources with high level of care. Assess the trends of outcome of an ICU on a regular basis, we not only analyses the profle of patients getting admitted to a particular ICU but also the quality of care given to them. Objectives: To provide information about the trend of admissions to the ICU and to compare mortality rate from different etiologies in Al Shifa Medical Complex (SMC) in Gaza Strip (GS). Methods: From January 2017 to December 2017, ICU records of all admissions, discharges, and deaths were utilized for the purpose of this study. Data extracted from the records included age, gender, diagnosis and outcome. Results: A total of 711 patients were admitted to ICU, males were 453 (63.7%) and females were 258 (36.3%). About 668 (93.9%) were survived and 43 (6.1%) were died. Most of the patients (57.9%) were between 19-65 years. The mortality rate in surgical hospital (58.1%), medical hospital (41.9%) and in obstetrics and gynecology hospital was zero.The majority of patients 144 (59.7%) were shifted from emergency of medical hospital to ICU. A sever traumatic brain injury accounted for 202 (47.0%) of all surgical admission to ICU. Falling down and road traffc accidents accounted 82 (40.6%) and 46 (22.8%) respectively from neurosurgical cases. Conclusions: Majority patients admitted to ICU were of surgical hospital and neurosurgical cases. The survival rate is higher than in the past years. The mortality rate in our ICU decreased from 8.6% towas6.1% and in obstetrics and gynecology hospital zero. Increase awareness of the community and enhanced commitment among policy makers to prevent falling down and road traffc injury. INTRODUCTION Intensive care units (ICU) are the areas where patients with severe and life-threatening illnesses and injuries require constant, close monitoring and support from specialist equipment and medications in order to ensure normal bodily functions. An ICU and multi-disciplinary team management have evolved improving the survival of critically ill patients [1]. ICUs are also different from normal hospital wards by a higher staff- to-patient ratio and access to advanced medical resources and equipment that is not routinely available elsewhere. However, ICU beds are scarce hospital resources reserved for a select subset of hospital patients. Underlying the scarcity of ICU beds is the high start-up and operating cost of the unit as well as the highly specialized training required of the staff [2]. Not all patients who have potentially recoverable disease can afford the expenditure of ICU. Similarly, the outcome of a critically ill patient is also not certain as it depends on multiple factors [3]. However if we assess the trends of outcome of an ICU on a regular basis, we not only analyses the profile of patients getting admitted to a particular ICU but also the care given to them [4]. Al Shifa Medical Complex (SMC) is the main trauma hospital and tertiary referral center in Gaza Strip, it includes 741 beds, distributed as: 255 beds at surgical hospital, 245 at medical hospital and 241 beds in obstetric hospital. The type of ICU in Al SMC includes general, medical, surgical, neurosurgical, pediatric, obstetrics and trauma. We have 9 bedded ICU with all modern machines and equipment’s. The ICU is staffed by 14 consultant anesthetists and trainee doctors at various levels of training. There are 28 well-trained intensive care nurses [5]. The current situation in the Gaza Strip is best described as acute on top of chronic, man-made and can only be politically resolved. The SMC staff were better prepared and trained for casualties through an extreme historical period. The two Intifadas, the isolation Israeli military attacks in 2008, 2012, 2014 and the siege from 2007 until now, the military attacks in 2008, 2012, and 2014 have together placed almost overwhelming burdens and extreme challenges of the daily medical work. The health system faced great difficulties due to lack of resources, lack of needed drugs and equipment, depletion of supplies and failure of equipment due to inappropriate maintenance services.