Access to Limited Critical Care and Risk of Mortality in Rwanda: A Prospective Cohort Study

IMPORTANCE:. There is a large discrepancy between need and access to critical care in low- and middle-income countries. Little is known about what subgroups of patients are being prioritized for critical care. OBJECTIVES:. The primary objective was to assess what clinical, demographic, and socioecon...

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Main Authors: Alex Mezei, MD, FRCPC, Donatien Hitayezu, MD, MMed, Tyler Gilman, MSc, Jeffrey Bone, MSc, Celestin Hategaka, MD, PhD, Srinivas Murthy, MD, MHSc, FRCPC, Marla McKnight, MD, MPH, FRCPC, Theogene Twagirumugabe, MD, MMed, PhD
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wolters Kluwer 2025-08-01
Series:Critical Care Explorations
Online Access:http://journals.lww.com/10.1097/CCE.0000000000001298
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author Alex Mezei, MD, FRCPC
Donatien Hitayezu, MD, MMed
Tyler Gilman, MSc
Jeffrey Bone, MSc
Celestin Hategaka, MD, PhD
Srinivas Murthy, MD, MHSc, FRCPC
Marla McKnight, MD, MPH, FRCPC
Theogene Twagirumugabe, MD, MMed, PhD
author_facet Alex Mezei, MD, FRCPC
Donatien Hitayezu, MD, MMed
Tyler Gilman, MSc
Jeffrey Bone, MSc
Celestin Hategaka, MD, PhD
Srinivas Murthy, MD, MHSc, FRCPC
Marla McKnight, MD, MPH, FRCPC
Theogene Twagirumugabe, MD, MMed, PhD
author_sort Alex Mezei, MD, FRCPC
collection DOAJ
description IMPORTANCE:. There is a large discrepancy between need and access to critical care in low- and middle-income countries. Little is known about what subgroups of patients are being prioritized for critical care. OBJECTIVES:. The primary objective was to assess what clinical, demographic, and socioeconomic variables were associated with timely ICU admission. Secondary objectives included determining the rate of ICU admission among patients who met admission criteria, inpatient mortality, and length of stay. DESIGN:. Prospective cohort study. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS:. All adult patients meeting ICU admission criteria at the University Teaching Hospital of Butare, Huye, Rwanda. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES:. The primary outcome was the proportion of patients admitted to ICU within 24 hours of being identified as critically ill. A multivariable logistic regression model was used to assess whether clinical, demographic, or socioeconomic factors are associated with timely ICU admission. Secondary outcomes were the proportion of patients admitted to ICU at any time, inpatient mortality, and length of stay. RESULTS:. Three hundred eighteen patients were enrolled between January 24, 2024, and June 3, 2024. Eighty-eight (27.7%) were admitted to ICU within 24 hours. Requiring ICU for postoperative recovery (odds ratio [OR], 8.21; 95% CI, 3.64–19.8), obstetric patients (OR, 2.43; 95% CI, 0.92–6.41), and ICU bed availability (OR, 1.26; 95% CI, 1.02–1.55) increased the odds of timely ICU admission in multivariable analysis. Socioeconomic status, gender, and social connections had minimal association with ICU admission, with wide CIs. The inpatient mortality rate was 44.0% and average length of stay was 14 days. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE:. Obstetric and postoperative patients are prioritized for ICU admission. There is a large unmet need for critical care in Rwanda, and mortality among critically ill patients is high.
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spelling doaj-art-40e2de668bc147aabb5d5fee47ba2ce52025-08-26T03:23:45ZengWolters KluwerCritical Care Explorations2639-80282025-08-0178e129810.1097/CCE.0000000000001298202508000-00008Access to Limited Critical Care and Risk of Mortality in Rwanda: A Prospective Cohort StudyAlex Mezei, MD, FRCPC0Donatien Hitayezu, MD, MMed1Tyler Gilman, MSc2Jeffrey Bone, MSc3Celestin Hategaka, MD, PhD4Srinivas Murthy, MD, MHSc, FRCPC5Marla McKnight, MD, MPH, FRCPC6Theogene Twagirumugabe, MD, MMed, PhD71 Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.2 Department of Anaesthesia and Critical Care Medicine, University of Rwanda, Butare, Rwanda.3 Women’s Health Research Institute, BC Women’s Hospital, Vancouver, BC, Canada.4 Department of Pediatrics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.5 Department of Medicine, Boston University, Boston, MA.4 Department of Pediatrics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.1 Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.2 Department of Anaesthesia and Critical Care Medicine, University of Rwanda, Butare, Rwanda.IMPORTANCE:. There is a large discrepancy between need and access to critical care in low- and middle-income countries. Little is known about what subgroups of patients are being prioritized for critical care. OBJECTIVES:. The primary objective was to assess what clinical, demographic, and socioeconomic variables were associated with timely ICU admission. Secondary objectives included determining the rate of ICU admission among patients who met admission criteria, inpatient mortality, and length of stay. DESIGN:. Prospective cohort study. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS:. All adult patients meeting ICU admission criteria at the University Teaching Hospital of Butare, Huye, Rwanda. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES:. The primary outcome was the proportion of patients admitted to ICU within 24 hours of being identified as critically ill. A multivariable logistic regression model was used to assess whether clinical, demographic, or socioeconomic factors are associated with timely ICU admission. Secondary outcomes were the proportion of patients admitted to ICU at any time, inpatient mortality, and length of stay. RESULTS:. Three hundred eighteen patients were enrolled between January 24, 2024, and June 3, 2024. Eighty-eight (27.7%) were admitted to ICU within 24 hours. Requiring ICU for postoperative recovery (odds ratio [OR], 8.21; 95% CI, 3.64–19.8), obstetric patients (OR, 2.43; 95% CI, 0.92–6.41), and ICU bed availability (OR, 1.26; 95% CI, 1.02–1.55) increased the odds of timely ICU admission in multivariable analysis. Socioeconomic status, gender, and social connections had minimal association with ICU admission, with wide CIs. The inpatient mortality rate was 44.0% and average length of stay was 14 days. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE:. Obstetric and postoperative patients are prioritized for ICU admission. There is a large unmet need for critical care in Rwanda, and mortality among critically ill patients is high.http://journals.lww.com/10.1097/CCE.0000000000001298
spellingShingle Alex Mezei, MD, FRCPC
Donatien Hitayezu, MD, MMed
Tyler Gilman, MSc
Jeffrey Bone, MSc
Celestin Hategaka, MD, PhD
Srinivas Murthy, MD, MHSc, FRCPC
Marla McKnight, MD, MPH, FRCPC
Theogene Twagirumugabe, MD, MMed, PhD
Access to Limited Critical Care and Risk of Mortality in Rwanda: A Prospective Cohort Study
Critical Care Explorations
title Access to Limited Critical Care and Risk of Mortality in Rwanda: A Prospective Cohort Study
title_full Access to Limited Critical Care and Risk of Mortality in Rwanda: A Prospective Cohort Study
title_fullStr Access to Limited Critical Care and Risk of Mortality in Rwanda: A Prospective Cohort Study
title_full_unstemmed Access to Limited Critical Care and Risk of Mortality in Rwanda: A Prospective Cohort Study
title_short Access to Limited Critical Care and Risk of Mortality in Rwanda: A Prospective Cohort Study
title_sort access to limited critical care and risk of mortality in rwanda a prospective cohort study
url http://journals.lww.com/10.1097/CCE.0000000000001298
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